The Charles

Made reservations for an early Sunday lunch and everything was perfect. Food exceeded expectations and our server Jeff was extremely polite and attentive. Will absolutely be returning soon!

Made reservations for an early Sunday lunch and everything was perfect. Food exceeded expectations and our server Jeff was extremely polite and attentive. Will absolutely be returning soon!

TL:DR: solid all around with great cocktails, no bad bites, and even some great/surprising dishes. Solid service and excellent treatment for special occasions. While none of the food was exceptional, there were no subpar bites across a diverse array of appetizers, entrees, and drinks, an unfortunately rare occurrence. There was consistently good preparation and flavor across the board and some items, such as the soup de jour (a squash apple soup) had a pleasant apple forward tartness that made it stand out. Everything was cooked well and as ordered, their frites were surprisingly well crisped, and all of the cocktails were well considered and interesting. As you can tell from reading the menu, they cover a wide variety of flavors and cuisine inspirations while delivering consistent quality: something few places manage. The atmosphere is charming as is the historic town of Wethersfield The Charles is located in (I believe the house is from the 1700s). Service was attentive and warm. We really appreciate host of complimentary items to help make our anniversary celebration special: a hand signed card by all the staff, a table snack to start, a chocolate truffle type dessert, and two glasses of champagne to finish the night. All in all, this place delivers what you'd hope it would and deserves its many accolades. Will it blow your mind? Unlikely, though if you haven't been to many great restaurants this may recalibrate your future expectations. However, I get the sense that this is a reliable choice for quality and that delivers on the promise. Definitely would recommend, especially for a special event.

TL:DR: solid all around with great cocktails, no bad bites, and even some great/surprising dishes. Solid service and excellent treatment for special occasions. While none of the food was exceptional, there were no subpar bites across a diverse array of appetizers, entrees, and drinks, an unfortunately rare occurrence. There was consistently good preparation and flavor across the board and some items, such as the soup de jour (a squash apple soup) had a pleasant apple forward tartness that made it stand out. Everything was cooked well and as ordered, their frites were surprisingly well crisped, and all of the cocktails were well considered and interesting. As you can tell from reading the menu, they cover a wide variety of flavors and cuisine inspirations while delivering consistent quality: something few places manage. The atmosphere is charming as is the historic town of Wethersfield The Charles is located in (I believe the house is from the 1700s). Service was attentive and warm. We really appreciate host of complimentary items to help make our anniversary celebration special: a hand signed card by all the staff, a table snack to start, a chocolate truffle type dessert, and two glasses of champagne to finish the night. All in all, this place delivers what you'd hope it would and deserves its many accolades. Will it blow your mind? Unlikely, though if you haven't been to many great restaurants this may recalibrate your future expectations. However, I get the sense that this is a reliable choice for quality and that delivers on the promise. Definitely would recommend, especially for a special event.

The food was absolutely the best! I had the "Sunday Gravy" and it was one of the best, if not THE best dish I ever had. My parter had the cod which also was very good. I was disappointed however by the atmosphere. There was a private party in the adjacent room upstairs that was very loud and distracting. I also thought we would be near a fireplace but i never saw one. Maybe this is a sign of the times, but I thought a restaurant charging this much would not have staff wearing jeans.

The food was absolutely the best! I had the "Sunday Gravy" and it was one of the best, if not THE best dish I ever had. My parter had the cod which also was very good. I was disappointed however by the atmosphere. There was a private party in the adjacent room upstairs that was very loud and distracting. I also thought we would be near a fireplace but i never saw one. Maybe this is a sign of the times, but I thought a restaurant charging this much would not have staff wearing jeans.

Very unimpressed with this place after hearing so many good things. I made a reservation for my birthday lunch with family, when I tried to call and let them know I had one more person joining, no one answered and their voicemail was full. We let them know once we arrived and the manager rolled her eyes and gave us a hard time about it. Ok fine whatever I can let that go, but then the food was so bad and disappointing on top of it. I ordered a grilled cheese and the bread wasn’t grilled and the cheese wasn’t melted at all ?? We also had the Korean tacos and the tortillas were chewy and hard and overall just not good. Go to Lucky Lou’s across the street instead, much better service & food!

Very unimpressed with this place after hearing so many good things. I made a reservation for my birthday lunch with family, when I tried to call and let them know I had one more person joining, no one answered and their voicemail was full. We let them know once we arrived and the manager rolled her eyes and gave us a hard time about it. Ok fine whatever I can let that go, but then the food was so bad and disappointing on top of it. I ordered a grilled cheese and the bread wasn’t grilled and the cheese wasn’t melted at all ?? We also had the Korean tacos and the tortillas were chewy and hard and overall just not good. Go to Lucky Lou’s across the street instead, much better service & food!

Loved the outdoor seating. Pasta bolognese was delicious. French onion soup was to die for. Very different than typical soup but it was amazing. Everything was really good. We’ll definitely be coming back again.

Loved the outdoor seating. Pasta bolognese was delicious. French onion soup was to die for. Very different than typical soup but it was amazing. Everything was really good. We’ll definitely be coming back again.

Enjoyed a phenomenal dinner at The Charles. Located in a historic old building, it has a great ambiance with both bar and dining room seating. Cocktails and wine selection are great, and if you’re looking for an appetizer get their charcuterie board. Not only is it one of the more generous charcuterie portion sizes I’ve ever had, their selection of meats and cheeses is delicious. For entrees I highly recommend the chicken and dumplings, it’s one of their more popular menu items for good reason. The chicken was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and juicy interior. One of my coworkers got the French onion soup that also looked fantastic. For dessert get the sticky toffee cake and the pumpkin tiramisu (seasonal), they were both fantastic. We came on a Monday night and the place was packed so you know it’s good, definitely worth stopping in!

Enjoyed a phenomenal dinner at The Charles. Located in a historic old building, it has a great ambiance with both bar and dining room seating. Cocktails and wine selection are great, and if you’re looking for an appetizer get their charcuterie board. Not only is it one of the more generous charcuterie portion sizes I’ve ever had, their selection of meats and cheeses is delicious. For entrees I highly recommend the chicken and dumplings, it’s one of their more popular menu items for good reason. The chicken was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and juicy interior. One of my coworkers got the French onion soup that also looked fantastic. For dessert get the sticky toffee cake and the pumpkin tiramisu (seasonal), they were both fantastic. We came on a Monday night and the place was packed so you know it’s good, definitely worth stopping in!

Food was excellent, great service, server was attentive and came back often. The table seating is alittle close, but beautiful old home and historic atmosphere.

Food was excellent, great service, server was attentive and came back often. The table seating is alittle close, but beautiful old home and historic atmosphere.

You can smell how good it is from the parking lot. Incredible service, we were accommodated so kindly on a very busy night and had an excellent experience with the host and server. Warm and cozy atmosphere that rejects that rustic laziness so common elsewhere. No, this place is perfect New England sophistication. Well crafted, thoughtful cocktails and absolutely delicious plates. You can tell the chef and head of house care about detail, doing something special, and are paying attention to the senses. Well done! Coming back! PS- the homemade ricotta is a must!

You can smell how good it is from the parking lot. Incredible service, we were accommodated so kindly on a very busy night and had an excellent experience with the host and server. Warm and cozy atmosphere that rejects that rustic laziness so common elsewhere. No, this place is perfect New England sophistication. Well crafted, thoughtful cocktails and absolutely delicious plates. You can tell the chef and head of house care about detail, doing something special, and are paying attention to the senses. Well done! Coming back! PS- the homemade ricotta is a must!