This week, nearly 30 of New Haven’s finest restaurants will be participating in New Haven Restaurant Week.
Participating restaurants — including Barcelona, Heirloom and Temple Grill, among others — will all have a fixed lunch and dinner price throughout the week: $17 and $31, respectively. A fixed price menu is a menu of predetermined items presented as a multi-course meal — typically an appetizer, entrée and dessert — and offered at a set price.
“Ever wondered about that restaurant you’ve heard about or driven by all those times? Restaurant Week is your chance to give it a try with the security of knowing exactly what you will be spending,” the festival’s website said.
New Haven Restaurant Week, which is presented twice a year by Info New Haven, will take place April 7–12. In towns all over Connecticut, restaurant weeks are held several times a year. In addition to these weeks, there an annual statewide week, according to the Connecticut Restaurant Week website. Making reservations is highly recommended as the restaurants fill up quickly.
Shah Khan ’19 said he is a “big fan” of restaurant week and has gone every year. As a part of the program, he has been to Harvest, Union League Cafe, Atelier Florian, ROÌA and Tarry Lodge.
“It’s really fun and a great thing for students who tend to have less money to experience these restaurants,” he said.
The event will also feature $5 parking from Sunday to Friday between 5 p.m. and 12 a.m at select lots in downtown New Haven. Since 2008, New Haven Restaurant Week has been attracting foodies from across Connecticut.
Anne Worcester, who was the tournament director of the former Connecticut Open tennis championship for 21 years, started restaurant week in November 2008.
After experiencing New York City’s restaurant week earlier that year, Worcester, who is Market New Haven’s chief marketing officer, decided to organize a similar event in New Haven. The event was the first such restaurant week in Connecticut.
“People come to experience our award-winning restaurants during the promotion, and we hope that they’ll come back to museums, concert halls, shops and theaters,” Worcester told the News last November. “We really encourage diners to experience many of the other assets of New Haven.”
The full list of restaurants, as well as information about future restaurant weeks, can be found at connecticutrestaurantweek.com.
Maya Vaknin | maya.vaknin@yale.edu .