Dining At Cucina Al Pantheon in Mystic, CT

This week, we took a ghost tour in downtown Mystic with U.S. Ghost Adventures. Before our tour, we decided to grab dinner at Cucina Al Pantheon since it was very close to the starting point for the tour. I’d been wanting to try this place since I found out about it. It’s only been open snice August of 2025, so it’s fairly new.

Neoclassical building with tall columns, a triangular pediment, and several closed red umbrellas over outdoor seating. Leafless trees and cloudy sky in the background. — The exterior of Cucina Al Pantheon. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

I had been in here in May of 2025 when it was still a brewery, so I was definitely a little shocked when I found out a couple months ago that it’s now a restaurant! I almost accidentally put the closed brewery into our Breweries To Check Out In Southeastern Connecticut post until my brother informed me that it was closed.

A lounge area with brown leather sofas in front of a mural of two manatees eating fast food at Bank & Bridge Brewing, with a blue neon sign above. — A photo from when the building still housed a brewery in May of 2025. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

Cucina Al Pantheon serves Italian food, which is one of our favorite cuisines. The vibes inside were very nice, but I didn’t feel like I needed to be dressed up. When we first arrived, I was worried I was under dressed, but there were plenty of people who were dressed casually inside.

A restaurant dining area with dark wooden tables and chairs, neatly rolled white napkins, leafy plants, and a large pillar in the center. A TV is mounted on the wall in the background. — The interior of Cucina Al Pantheon. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

We started with drinks. My boyfriend got a beer and I got one of their specialty cocktails. My drink was a pomegranate margarita. It was really good, but I didn’t finish it because I’m not really a drinker. I just like to taste things and then I make my boyfriend drink the rest. He really enjoyed it. For me, it was pretty strong. But again, I have almost no tolerance for alcohol.

A bright red cocktail with ice, a salted rim, a lime wedge garnish, and a black straw sits on a brown table. — My pomegranate margarita. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

Next, some house made bread came out with some olive oil. I prefer the oil to be seasoned, but that’s just me being nitpicky. The bread was really good though.

A basket of sliced bread on a table next to a glass bottle of olive oil. — The bread. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

For my meal, I got rigatoni alla vodka. This dish featured crispy pancetta, homemade vodka sauce, basil, and burrata cheese. It was delicious.

A plate of rigatoni pasta in a creamy tomato sauce, topped with fresh basil, microgreens, and a dollop of cheese. — My rigatoni alla vodka. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

My boyfriend went for his typical dish, chicken parmesan. At Cucina Al Pantheon, it was a free-range chicken parmesan with panko crust chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, spaghetti, and marinara sauce. My boyfriend said the dish was stellar. I tried some for myself, and the dish is definitely worth raving about. I had considered getting it for myself, but I knew I’d never be able to finish it. I didn’t want my leftovers just sitting in my car while we did the ghost tour.

A plate of spaghetti topped with breaded chicken, marinara sauce, and melted cheese, garnished with herbs, is on a brown table next to a fork, knife, and spoon. — The chicken parmesan. I only snapped a quick cellphone photo so my boyfriend didn’t have to wait too long to dig in. Photo credit: Kailey MarcAurele.

Since we still had a little bit of time before we needed to head back to the library for the tour, we decided to get some dessert before we left. They had a lava cake that I wanted, but they happened to be out of it (so it must have been really good). Since they were out, I just asked for some vanilla ice cream instead. My boyfriend got crème brûlée, which he said was really good.