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The Essex Brasserie, Branford, CT

The Essex Brasserie

4.3
4.3
52 Reviews
$30 and under
French

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 2 times today
  • 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
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Colt Taylor
  • 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

What 52 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

NoiseModerate

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.

52 Reviews
  1. david

    VIP

    New York City

    28 reviews

    2.0

    28 reviews

    Dined 4 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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  2. Ellie

    Greater Boston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great dinner! Our waiter Chris was amazing and all of the food and service was very good.

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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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FAQs

The Essex Brasserie is rated 4.3 stars by 52 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 2 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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