Favorites Bistro Bar in New London, CT
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A couple weeks ago, I went to the ribbon cutting for the grand re-opening of Favorite’s Bistro Bar in New London, Connecticut. It was a great chance to support a small business in my community. But, it’s really hard to get a feel for a restaurant at an event like this. So, I made a point to go back on my own to dine in with my boyfriend to get the full experience that same week.
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Where Is Favorites Bistro Bar?
This spot is located in downtown New London on Bank Street. Bank Street is home to a variety of bars, restaurants, and shops. It’s a great spot that’s close to the train station, ferry terminals, and the Thames River. Favorite’s Bistro is located on the river side of the street, and their back deck offers beautiful water views. This makes it a great spot to grab a bite to eat in the warmer months.
For parking, there is street parking available on Bank Street. However, if you hate parallel parking like me, you can always park in the public lots along Eugene O’Neill Drive. Just note that you will need to pay to park in those lots. There are kiosks or you can use the Flowbird app, which makes it super easy.
What Kind of Cuisine Is It?
This spot serves up American dishes with a Caribbean twist. The flavors are bold, but in the best way possible. The flavors are thoughtfully created for each of the dishes. Some of the food has a bit of a kick, but that’s something I personally enjoy. The dishes are anything but boring. They truly deliver on flavor.
Dining In
We went during an evening that wasn’t super warm, so we sat inside. We had a nice window seat facing the street. I personally had great views of one of my favorite murals in downtown New London, so I was a happy camper.
When dining anywhere, my boyfriend and I like to try a little bit of everything. We’ll usually get drinks, appetizers, an entrée, and dessert if we have room for it. At Favorites Bar and Bistro, we did take a peek at the dessert menu, but we just did not have the room.
Drinks
For drinks, we both got margaritas. I like a traditional lime margarita, but we were told that they had a lot of different flavors they could make it. My boyfriend asked the server to surprise him. Both drinks were great and so was the presentation.
Appetizers
When I went to the ribbon cutting, I had a sample of some of the appetizers that they offer. I loved the wings because they were packed with flavor and the meat was cooked perfectly. Honestly, I’m not really a wings person, so for me to be raving about them means that they really were that good. We got an order of them when we went.
Another crowd favorite at the ribbon cutting was the tostadas. This was a new item on their menu and everyone at the event was raving about them. My boyfriend was absolutely amazed by them. He said, “These SLAP” after trying them (aka, he LOVED them). I think that was probably his favorite between the appetizers we got. He said they were so full of flavor.
We also got pulled pork handhelds. My boyfriend doesn’t love pork, so I enjoyed these on my own. They had a lot of flavor and I loved the sauce. I also just loved that it had fresh garnish on it.
Dinner
I’m genuinely shocked that we had enough room for dinner after the appetizers. My boyfriend got a burger. I’m not a big burger person, so I didn’t try it, but he said it was really good. I can speak for his fries though. They were seasoned so well, which is super important to me personally. I’m not a ketchup person, so I appreciate when fries taste great on their own!
When I go out, I love getting pasta. I got the Rasta Pasta with chicken, which had a bit of a kick to it from the Caribbean seasoning. But honestly, I loved it! I love pastas with a creamy sauce like this and I really appreciated the bold flavor. I felt that the creaminess of the sauce helped to balance the bold seasoning.
Like the wings, I felt that the chicken was cooked perfectly. I’m used to chicken being kind of dry in pasta dishes like this, but that was no the case with the chicken in my pasta. It was moist and tender.
Unfortunately after dinner, we did not have room for dessert. But, there’s always next time!
Is This Spot Worth Dining At?
Honestly, yes! For starters, all of the meat I had was cooked to perfection. Nothing was dry…it was all tender and delicious. In addition to being cooked well, the flavor was there. They were bold, but in a well-executed way. I don’t know about you, but I personally like food to have flavor. Who likes eating bland food? Definitely not me.
In addition to the great food, the vibes are great. They have a great outdoor space in the back with water views, but the inside is also so well-done. There’s really no bad seat in the house.
And if those reasons aren’t enough, the owners are so kind. They’ve poured their heart and soul into this restaurant. It’s clear that they really care about the space and the food they’re serving.
When I dined in, I spent some time talking with one of the owners. I introduced myself and let her know that I was at the ribbon cutting. I told her that I was so excited to have another great option to dine at close to home. We had a great chat about the community and the restaurant.
