el barrio

Super cute restaurant. We got in on a Saturday night with no reservation and were seated outside. Service was a little slow once we got our entrees but still attentive enough. The drinks and food were amazing and good portion size (we had to get a to go box). Dessert was also delicious, would go again!

We went there during Valentine’s day, it was a great cozy spot for dinner date. Grilled chicken and the short rib tasted very flavorful. Desserts were the best part of entire course. Sweet yet so fresh. It was a perfect combination. Can’t wait to come back soon.

What a fabulous evening I had today 2/13. My husband and I decided to eat out before his long weekend of work. Our original restaurant was completely filled with no parking spot and I think that happened for a reason because we happen to stumble upon El Barrio. To begin with we were welcome with a a warm smile by a witty host who took care of us the entire evening. He made subtle jokes and made us feel extremely welcome. The ambience was really relaxing and romantic. My husband and I enjoyed some amazing apps and it only got better from there. The Costilla (short beef rib) was perfectly tender. And my husband churrasqueria was equally as incredible. I love restaurants with a limited menu because you just know everything will be made with love. I 100% recommend El Barrio and I will be returning.

I went here with my wife after for our first meal out after having our son. We needed a break from parenting and this was our choice. The food, service and drinks were amazing. It felt like home away from home.

El barrio and Bistro Basque same menu, different atmosphere but nothing new there. Better restaurants in Milford that provide better food options and gourmet at same price. Place is overrated.

This place was a wonderful stop for some authentic Latin food. My family loved the ribs and bacalao croquetas! The plating was beautiful and everything was hot and fresh. Also, the servers are funny and sweet. 10/10 will be coming back!!!

Zero complaints. The patio was beautiful, the drinks were great and the food was amazing! The service was also phenomenal.

A true Latin delight. I was traveling on my own here for the fair on Milford Greens and just back biking from Silver Sands/Audubon Society. Ordered their catch for the day, which is skate fish, Modelo beer and tres cake. The fish is skillfully prepared with balanced texture and taste. I always wanted to cook skate fish myself and liked it very much. Fish came with rice and boiled vegetables. The waiter was a very interesting man with extremely blue eyes (I remember very clearly) :) I had a very good time there. Definitely recommend this place. This shop and their neighbor Bistro Basque are connected inside.

What a fabulous evening I had today 2/13. My husband and I decided to eat out before his long weekend of work. Our original restaurant was completely filled with no parking spot and I think that happened for a reason because we happen to stumble upon El Barrio. To begin with we were welcome with a a warm smile by a witty host who took care of us the entire evening. He made subtle jokes and made us feel extremely welcome. The ambience was really relaxing and romantic. My husband and I enjoyed some amazing apps and it only got better from there. The Costilla (short beef rib) was perfectly tender. And my husband churrasqueria was equally as incredible. I love restaurants with a limited menu because you just know everything will be made with love. I 100% recommend El Barrio and I will be returning.

Omg!!! Amazing absolutely everything. Reservations for 8pm party of four. We were in CT for a bachelorette weekend. This place is gorgeous. Greeted right away everyone was nice to us. Two of us had the steaks, another had the shrimp and the other had the ribs. Absolutely delicious.we had shots on the house and a piece of cake for the bride to be. The meat was soft, tender and perfectly seasoned. The vegetables were tasty . I love margaritas but i didn't enjoy theirs unfortunately. Still gave it 5 stars because the experience was phenomenal. Will definitely come back for a date night

El Barrio and Bistro Basque have been combined since the pandemic, both the buildings and the menus. The side I sat on, El Barrio, looks like a cantina with garage doors that open up to outdoor seating in the back. I'm not sure what the Bistro Basque side looks like, but I imagine it might be less industrial. Service was pleasant and attentive. The churrasquera was perfection. I swore I was going to save and take half home to enjoy the next day, but that didn't happen! The skirt steak, chicken and sausage were all tender, moist and flavorful. The veggies were perfectly grilled. The chimichurri sauce on the side was good (albeit a little too garlicky for my taste). Do yourself a favor and visit this treasure located on the edge of Milford Green! Your taste buds are sure to have an adventure!

Been coming here irregularly for years. Casual atmosphere, attentive service, and delicious meals. If you are EVER in downtown Milford, you have to make this one of your stops.

Fabulous drinks, creative and delicious. The bar must really hustle because the drinks came quickly! But didn't taste rushed at all.

Probably the best restaurant in Milford the food is always fantastic as it is the service. I'd love this restaurant and I love the outside dining experience.

I like this place. It really does remind me of a tapas bar in Madrid. With the dim yellow light bulbs, the rouges colors as ambiance. The bar. The food was pretty good decent enough- I had the paella- I had to wait for that. Pretty good/. It was not Madrid level but close. Worth the visit just don't go over board.

Went for dinner last night with my friend and yes it's July and it's hot outside but come on! No AC inside! I was sweating out entire meal. Service was SO SLOW. I ordered a Shirley temple that took forever for come out. It's non alcoholic! They have tapas so we ordered a few different things. I wouldn't rush back here, the food was OK but the insanely slow service and boiling temperature inside the restaurant made my experience less than satisfactory.

To start the food was very tasty. Everything we tried was packed with flavor, really incredible. Drinks were nice & strong just how I like them! They had some fun cocktail options which was great. They sat us outside which was a fun atmosphere besides the fact your tables were less than an arms length away from the next table. You were practically in everyone's conversation just because you had to be. Taking off a couple points for the odd greeting I had at the host station where a man asked me if my date & I were "going to actually speak to each other" & "if we wanted separate tables". It was definitely in a joking way but the joke kept continuing on with weird comments for over a minute. One or two jokes funny, after that it started to get weird. If i'm basing it just off the food & drinks I would deff eat here again.

Swung by for a quick bite while I was in town and had a great time with my girlfriend! Amazing food, great ambiance and amazing service. Will definitely come back! ( Try the Paella you wont regret it)

Excellent food, came here for drinks with a friend, and pleasantly surprised with the food. Got the escargot and it was amazing. Downside, closed maybe 10:30 on a Saturday?

This is a Latin and French cuisine restaurant. They have the perfect balance of the two. The drinks are amazing, food is even better! Only complaint id say is I ordered my steak medium rare and it ended up being well done. It still tasted very good but it was amazing. Definitely a must go!

Friday night date night at El Barrio did not disappoint. Their drinks are so fresh, the Limonada del Sandia caught us by surprise as our favorite drink! We were disappointed by the Croquetas del Barrio as they seemed to lack goat cheese flavor. The Churrasqueria is an absolute must try, and was plenty to split between the two of us after appetizers! All of the meats were cooked perfectly, we absolutely loved the kick of the longaniza sausage. The chimichurri sauce was incredible and tied the dish together, we ended up asking for a second helping. I am not one for French food, so I am looking forward to El Barrio returning to its previous menu of strictly Latin cuisine as they continue to share their menu with Bistro Basque. Beautiful outdoor seating on their back patio. Recommend a reservation during the weekend.

We picked this place without knowing it was Fireworks night in Milford - ugh. All of downtown was a madhouse and though we arrived about 10 minutes before our Reservation we were unable to grab a drink at the bar because they were short staffed. Our table was ready on time and we sat on the back patio which is a terrific intimate space with Ivy covered brick walls. Took a while to get menus but we ordered some Tequila drinks mine had Hibiscus (The Pauline?) and was delicious, my friend had the Bronceada with Blood Orange Juice. Mine was better. They had plenty of non-tequila and beer and wine selections too. Pricing was fair for CT. We ordered a bunch of apps, some better than others. Sadly we never heard the specials for the night so did not get to order any of them, though we overheard there was octopus which we probably would have gotten. The ones we would get again: Piquillo stuffed with short rib, Stuffed Poblano with Cheese and tomato. Both were superb. The ones we would pass on: Cheese plate, Guacamole & chips, Grilled Calamari, Escargot. All of these were fine but lackluster. Entree-wise the Mixed Grill was terrific and good value for the portion size. The steak was cooked BEAUTIFULLY. In all we would try it again but might lean to the Spanish/Mexican side of the menu more.

My fiancee took me out to an early valentines day dinner as I will working Sunday night. We have gone by this place many times but have only now decided to stop. The outside and inside ambiance is very beautiful and nice. Im not sure if the main dining area is closed? We were seated at the bistro. When we came in it was a little crowded but since being here it has died down and the music has finally came through. Its very calming. Good choice of music. We were taken care of swiftly and everything came out in a timely manner. We tried the guacamole first for an appetizer. It was SO delicious. The chips were nice too. Their complimentary bread they give with oil was very fluffy, moist and delicious. The crust was crunchy but it wasn't hard on the teeth like some Italian bread can be. I had the garlic chicken with rice and my fiancee had the filet mignon with potatoes. He gave his dish an 8.5 and I gave it a 7. Here is why. The filet was extremely tender and good, but it lacked flavor, for me at least. I didn't much care for the veggies although he liked them. And i gotta say, the star of the show was the potatoes. They were SO creamy and good For my dish, i gave it an 8 and my fiancee gave it a 9. Here why. The rice was cooked great, the sauce was good, and the chicken was extremely tender. The dish was superb, very delicious, but i don't do well with spicy. Red pepper flakes were added to the sauce and the spiciness was super overbearing for me at least but my fiancee loved it. We tried this chocolate dessert as well. It was a rich chocolate mousse with a hard dark chocolate coating. My fiancee gave it a 7 and I give it a 9. He didn't much care for the richness and thinks that if there was no raspberry he would be wondering why he would buy it. Lol me on the other hand, loved it. The chocolate was delicious and decedent. The texture was superb and the raspberry sauce really added to it as well. We felt out waitress was attentive in the beginning but towards the end she kind if disappeared and we waited a while for our check. We had a really great time and we will definitely be back again.

This place never disappoints. Food is always great and I love the ambiance. We had a few of the small plates: peppers stuffed with short rib, grilled calamari and sweet potato and goat cheese croquettes. Would definitely recommend!!

Delicious and authentic Spanish cuisine. My husband and I look forward to our date nights at this hidden gem in the heart of Milford, Connecticut. The owner is the sweetest and most hands-on person and always stops by your table to make sure everything was up to standard. A Milford staple!

The food here is amazing. We went for lunch, though empty, was probably because it was a Sunday afternoon. We had the croquettes and lamb empinadas. Omg the Lamb empinadas best thing ever!!!!!! We also had Fish and Lamb Tacos that were just as tasty. I would definitely recommend the place. We live an hour away otherwise I would say we would definitely be back. But if I'm in the neighborhood, would definitely try again. I have had better margaritas though. If the margarita was with fresh lime juice and not bottled lime juice I would have scored it . I did four stars only because it's a little pricey and I stand by what I said about the margarita.

One of my favorite restaurants. Service is always amazing. Great drinks, great food. I love the outdoor seating during the warmer months, so cute.

The restaurant outdoor seating is beautiful with lots of vines growing on the wall. Service was a bit pushy about seating arrangements to be six ft apart from other table yet the guy who enforced this was not wearing a mask himself. The cocktails came out quickly - my coworker and I had the jelepeno infused cocktails which tasted extremely watered down. My other friend got the paridesia which tasted like juice. Cocktails were not strong and not worth the money. Next round was Vine which impressed. I got sav blanc which was delicious Guacamole and chips are good. They bring more chips if needed. We were rushed from our table so that they can seat the next party. Not a good way to thank customers for their bassinets

One of Milford's best downtown restaurants. Many tapas and entrees to choose from and don't forget to pay attention to the nightly specials, they are remarkable. Sometimes I go there just for a glass of wine and David's au gratin potatoes- to die for! The outside eating area makes you feel like you are in Barcelona, Portugal or the south of France. Staff is very accommodating, Juan and Meaghan are our favorites!

Barcelona on steroids. Go here for real Spanish (think Spain tapas and paella) food, great atmosphere, outside patio makes you think you're on a side street in Spain. Must try!

We have been here a few times now and the service is always thorough and attentive. They have excellent specials and creative drinks. Their menu has a little something for everyone, but isn't overwhelming. I just wish they didn't offer fois gras, as it is especially cruel to animals and I usually do not dine at places that offer it. We've had the grilled calamari twice, first time it was amazing and the second was a little chewy but flavorful. We also highly recommend the garlic shrimp small plate, poblanos and cheese and anything with their sauces - my mouth just waters thinking of it. The scallop entree, steaks and shrimp Diablo are all amazing but wait to hear the specials - as they also are creative and excellent. The meals may come out a little slow, but it's worth the wait for their tasty creations coming out of the kitchen.

I stopped by for a drink and a few apps on my way home. I had a nice cucumber infused tequila with Strawberry puree that was very tasty. I ordered the white beans with chorizo. It was a soupy mix of beans in a garlicky sauce with a hint of wine. The crusty bread that came along was nice to dip in the sauce. I also had the peppers stuffed with short ribs. The short rib stuffing in the little peppers went perfect with the brown sauce and the mini salad. I had to take an order of the peppers home for lunch today. They were so good! This place has a great variety of shared plates. If you are in milford and would like a good cocktail and a variety of shareables stop by. You will also love their outdoor seating!

Friends originally recommended the Bistro Basque and we were in the neighbourhood, so we drove by and it looked closed, so we called in confusion as the yelp page reported it as open. The person who answered the phone told us the Elbarrio had the same owner, same kitchen and shared a menu as Bistro Basque, which was how we ended up here instead. The waiters were all friendly, with a great sense of humour and a lot of ribbing, lol~! The restaurant seemed busy enough on a Sunday night. The ambience reminded us of trendy upscale tapas bars in Buenos Aires and in Barcelona. The food we ordered was so amazing, I was rather sad that we could not have ordered off the main menu on account of a lack of vegetarian options, but were limited to the tapas menu/appetizers. They sure know what they are doing in that kitchen though! Alleluia~! Praise be! Most tapas presentations we had been to, in our neighbourhood, tended to just be salty! But the tapas here had very interesting textures like the poblanos rellenos, very flavourful and creamy like the cauliflower gratin, and the olive oil too tasting amazing with a touch of bitter like they came fresh from the Tuscan olive fields. It really was a serendipitous find. The food speaks volumes for itself and I really enjoyed the friendliness of the waiters who really made one feel welcome. This truly is a gem of place! And we look forward to stopping by when we are next in the neighbourhood.

I came here once previously for drinks and had a positive experience. Their cocktail menu is phenomenal! We had a party of six for dinner. They will take reservations if you call ahead. We were seated and ordered a round of drinks. I enjoyed a classic margarita. It was refreshing and not too sweet or sour. I split the tacos al pastor, croquettes, gazpacho, and churraqueria. I also had a bite of the dessert empanadas and the banana mousse. Everything was delicious and our whole table loved their meals and drinks. El Barrio and Bistro Basque (well reviewed by Zagat and the NYTimes) have the same owner, so it's no surprise that this new restaurant is off to a great start.

This place is a gem. The food is superb and the staff/owners work cohesively to provide exceptional service. Took 2 family members here as a treat before a Milford Arts Center performance and to say we were satisfied with our meals would be a gross understatement. everything about the experience was outstanding. Among the table, we tried grilled calamari. short ribs, sea bass, mushroom and artichoke apps and flan/

Truly enjoyed El Barrio. The food was delicious. I ordered the churrasqueria and my girlfriend ordered the Lamb burrito. Both had excellent flavor. The ambience was great and we absolutely enjoyed the old time "classic" salsa music in the background. Two thumbs up and we will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu! When you come, definitely order some sangria, it is very good. The service was excellent and friendly!

Trendy. Pricey. Central. Fantastic ambiance with a variety of sittings: from close knit bar to European patio. If intimate's your jam, this place has your fruit. Tacos were mediocre, drinks well-decored, guacamole tasty, but portions of all on the smaller size. Regrettably, service on the earlier side of Saturday night was polite, if inattentive for the caliber of establishment El Barrio is attempting to be.

Diamond in the rough. Charming ambiance, like you're in Europe. Great staff, welcoming with matching food. Completely recommend.

SO GOOD!! Great atmosphere, seating outside with the walls of ivy are so cute. Cannot get enough of the small plates and love the Fresa papina drink! The staff is awesome too!

INCREDIBLE !!! Just go there and taste for yourself ! Had the Barbacoa Buritto and my wife vegetable burrito and both were delicious ! And the Pave au Chocolàte (pictured) was to die for !!!!!

I had my wedding reception here and it was AWESOME!!! They performed beyond my expectations. Several of my guests commented on the speed and friendliness of the service. The food and wine flowed and I had the wedding of my dreams. The owner worked with us for months and guided us through the selection process. We were sure if we wanted an open bar and he suggested open for wine and beer which was a great decision. The food was beyond great. I had so many people that said they would be coming back for a meal. I'm so glad I could share such a great day at my favorite restaurant with all of my loved ones!

Fantastic food and service. We had the El Jefe and Fresa Pepino tequila drinks which were exceptional. I would definitely recommend and return.

El Barrio more like El Bore-io. This joint lacked cleanliness and the food missed the mark on the 2 F's: Freshness & Flavor. My girlfriend and I were seated in their quaint outdoor patio. Not only were we less than a foot away from tables on either side of us, the patio was as dirty as can be. There were leaves under the tables and dirt on the bench seats....it was clear they hadn't cleaned in a while back there. Even our water pitcher was dirty, with particles of God knows what floating around, disgusting. The food & drinks unfortunately didn't make up for it either. I got the mezcal margarita as my drink to start & it was way too bitter. I opted for a bottled beer the next go around because you can't mess that up! For our dinner, we decided to order a bunch of little plates to share so we landed on the paquetitos de tinga, guacamole, chorizo y frijoles & the carne asada tacos. The best way to describe all the dishes were that they were bland beyond belief. In addition you could tell some of the dishes weren't made that day. For example, the paquetitos de tinga had filling that tasted days old & were a little cold in the middle. I think because some the food was reheated, it came out bland. The only redeeming quality of this place was the service. Our server was very friendly, attentive & tried his best to make this place feel authentic. Another positive to this place was that it is more affordable than most places in Milford but for the quality I'd say it's still not worth your money.

Second choice for Mexican on this Saturday night (see previous post). This place has a nice ambiance. It's smallish but they play jazz over the speakers and not too loud.the only real complaint I have is about the size of the tables. Man, they are small! Too small to eat comfortably. The guacamole was good, if not great, but wished the chips had been a little thinner. The shrimp entree I got consisted of 5 small shrimp in a light sauce with white rice on the side. The shrimp looked lonely in the sauce until I dumped the whole thing of rice in. The dish was pretty tasty, but definitely not worth the 22 bucks it cost. My wife had the chicken egg roll appetizer with cilantro and quac smeared on them. She liked them but thought they were a little spicier than she would have liked. Personal preference. They were actually a good deal at 9 bucks. All in all pretty happy and would come back.

Great little restaurant. Bartender named Rachid. Made very good margs. Menu was good. Good overall vibe. Sat at bar and ate and imbibed. Don't pass it up.

I want to preface my review by saying that my first experience at this restaurant recommended by several friends was to do takeout. While their Yelp listing says they do takeout, you might expect to wait longer than average wait times for your food if it's busy. With that being said, your food will arrive hot and bartenders will check on your food for you if it seems to take longer. The young man that waited on us for our takeout order was friendly and apologetic for the wait. The food was good. I found the crochetas that we ordered were tasty but didn't pack the flavor punch I was expecting. The taco fillings, carnitas and carne Asada were plentiful and delicious but really needed a double shell wrap to withstand the weight and cost. The raspberry tres leches cake was good but not great as I found the cake to be a bit drier than most tres leches cakes I have had in the past. Going on a Friday night at about 6:30, the place was super packed with people ordering cocktails, so if you prefer a quieter dining experience with good food. I'd try this place for lunch instead of dinner. All in all, I will return to this place for a dine-in experience, perhaps their brunch which seems to be quite popular

Such a cute place next to the green in Milford. It's attached to its fine dining sibling next door Bistro Basque. For a nice refreshing margarita and relaxed atmosphere El Barrio is it. In the nicer weather the back terrace is available. Although small, very cute. Service is great. Altogether a must try.

Everything about El Barrio makes me smile. From the minute you meet the staff to the last bite of dessert nothing fails to impress. David presents a flawless fine dining experience. The food is a carnival for the senses. It's beautiful presentation and divine flavors leaves you wanting to ride the El Barrio carousel again and again. This family run place is a true gem.

We were here a while back and now the restaurant has changed for the better. The last time we were here it was very good but a little confused as to what they were - some French and Spanish dishes, all good. Now they switched to a Spanish theme and I think the restaurant has really hit their stride. The food is wonderful, great service and a really inviting ambience. They have outside seating which is a delight in good weather. The service is on-point and friendly. I don't think you will regret dining here - we went back twice!

We went here to celebrate our anniversary and loved the food. Everything was extremely authentic and we loved the creativity of the dishes. We will certainly be back in the future!

Lance and the spicy margarita will absolutely draw you in and this Ponchatoula girl will be back.

A slice of Europe in our backyard. Cannot recommend this place enough! Just go! Incredible staff, delicious food, great drinks. Great atmosphere. Can't beat this place!

Great spot in downtown Milford! Right when you walk in you get that cool Mexican/Spanish kitchen restaurant feel. Ambiance is great overall. The menu while not expansive definitely has a ton of delicious options and it doesn't make your decision too hard by having too many choices. Service is phenomenal, Lance the usual bartender is very friendly and accommodating. They also have some happy hour specials as well! Definitely worth stopping in next time you're in downtown Milford. Cheers

Food was delicious! They have good proportions. They do not give you too much food and the prices are more reasonable then other restaurants in the area. The outdoor patio space is beautiful and intimate.

Had some delicious brunch here with my gf while we were visiting from out of town this weekend. The fried egg with chimichuri chicken and tortilla chips was amazing. Service was friendly, but a bit slow.

My husband and I decided to celebrate the sale of our home in Upstate, NY and came to this restaurant. Trust us it was the best place to celebrate and the food was amazing. Conversation with the Bartender, who was also the owner was great. The whole experience was fantastic. Great atmosphere, great food, and a Great Mojito. Will definitely be back.

Well done, El Barrio, well done. We arrived at 7pm on a Friday night and were greeted promptly by a friendly host & had our choice of indoor or outdoor seating even though it seemed pretty crowded. We choose outdoor. They have an adorable, comfortable patio outside in back. Our waiter was great. Very friendly & competent. We each ordered different marguerita cocktails & both were very good. The food was excellent. We ordered a lot of different small plates: pablanos rellenos, chicken mole, chorizo tacos, gaucolmole. We thought they were all spot on. Kudos to this new Milford hot spot. Keep up the good work.