zinc restaurant

best lunch. i eat lunch at zinc 3 to 4 times a week. the warm goat cheese and chicken salad is to die for! the service is impeccable! i brought my 8year old son for dinner one night and all he keeps saying is can we have zinc for dinner please! the staff is very helpful and accomadating. zinc is a must visit if your in new haven. oh and the cocktails are delicious!

first date with nicole!. so there is this really fascinating woman who i am so excited about meeting and wednesday is the day! at once she is smart, funny beautiful, charming- and get this- she can do plumbing! to say i am thrilled to meet her is an understatement. the stars are aligned for wonderful things to happen....

zinc has been a fixture on the new haven green since 1999 , well before farm-to-table restaurants became the sought-after reservation.  even then, chef denise appel was designing plates that changed with the season, and "continued to do so even when people in town wondered if she'd ever make her mind up on a menu," laughs co-owner donna curran, who has worked alongside chef appel for more than two decades.  named for the traditional zinc bars in european bistros, zinc has successfully become a well-known neighborhood gathering place over the past dozen years. warm and welcoming for its minimalist design, the restaurant is long and narrow, as expected in an urban setting. yet with a profound cherry bar, generous seating and plenty of quiet nooks, you know you’ll gladly stay a while.   be delighted by the many global ingredients that comfortably mingle on the menu. since chef appel is most influenced by the cleansing, citrus flavor p

at lunch recently at zinc, we requested to have each of our plates split for sharing. the kitchen was more than accommodating, presenting us with attractive half portions. (so realize the photos are only half an order.)

for our appetizer, we began with an order of house made feathery light ricotta gnocchi...

market menu. the market menu is a prix fixe offering which highlights the freshest ingredients currently available. we enjoyed pureed cucumber soup -- a rich, thick soup which was very creamy but without cream, chicken breast baked with a smokey sauce that turned the chicken skin a slightly sweet, rich mahogany color, puree of yams that were savory instead of sweet and an ear of corn seasoned with a salty rub. we opted for the extra cheese course before dinner and two local cheeses were accompanied by dark, rich bread that was studded with berries. the only disappointment was the dessert course -- a custard tartlet topped with an unsweetened, too-tart fruit puree. dinner partner had the flank steak and fried spinach. the fried spinach is a must -- very delicate leaves of lightly fried spinach heaped next to the entree. actually, i would have been happy to eat only the fried spinach.
there was a good selection of wine by the glass and also a wine list with a wide price range.
the atmosphere is dark but pleasant and the service was efficient and attentive.

pretentious. zinc has the look and feel of a restaurant in a bigger city, but, sadly, the cuisine doesn't stand up. it's "modern" menu has little local competition, which is the only way that i can explain its ability to stay open and (apparently) prosper. i actually appreciate this kind of place, but only when someone has the chops to justify the attitude, and that simply isn't happening at zinc.

uneven but worth a visit. pluses: food quality and creativity
minuses: wine and comfort

on a friday night, we enjoyed fettucini (small plate), sea scallops, and tuna. all were delicious, and we'd order any of them again.

service was rushed. our small table was overcrowded with plates and glasses.

when our dinner was plated and ready to go, our server came over to clear off our not-quite-finished appetizers, encouraging us to hurry since the main course was ready. very awkward.

the oregon pinot noir that we ordered, without any useful help from our server, was just ok - young and thin. unexpected for a restaurant with a wine spectator award of excellence.

the best!. zinc is fantastic. denise is the best chef in ct!!! amazing food and wine. gorgeous, ambient atmosphere. the manager elizabeth is the most personable, lovely woman in the biz!

excellent food !

highly recommend zink. happy to say zinc does new haven proud. the beef lettuce wraps, and the grilled tuna are done to perfection. i recently had a business meeting at zinc, and ther service was right on, not too intrusive, but there when you needed them. i highly recommend this restaurant.

pretty good. it was a bit over-hyped but the food was good.

denise changes the ingredients for the rolls depending on the season. for this winter demo, she used julienned blanched snow peas, water chestnuts and carrots, rolled those veggies inside rice paper along with a spicy cooked shrimp (cut in half through th

pretty good. duck nachos were great! good date night restaurant