Il Pellicano

Very high quality food served in a casual modern ambiance with bar and table seating available. Unfortunately, like in most places we visit in Fairfield County these days, the service is totally amateur, lacking knowledge and only interested in upselling dishes, filling up your wine glass to the top and collecting tips at the end but not in delivering an outstanding professional service. We really enjoyed the food but we were put off by the poor service.

Robust dining room/noisy. It was clear from the start the chef was not Italian at all. The fried oysters had a funny funky taste. Do not recommend. The special Fettuccini w truffles in a creamed sauce. Sauce a lacking so dry and no taste. Had to ask for salt. Still little to no taste ($55 for pasta). First and last time will ever go.

How can a reviewer from 6 days ago say 'the chef was not Italian at all'? Google should remove that biased review. I am Italian and would never make such an assumption and say such a snooty comment. Now on to my review from the pickiest Italian restaurant patron around... This place last night was my favorite Italian food in Ffld County by far. So many places as my son said are, 'mid'. Started off great with the most delicious seasoned olives. The salmon was fresh and delicious, served with the most delicious sauteed vegetables and delicious mashed potatoes and sauce. My only complaint is there was not enough! The sauce and meatballs were very good and the Rigatoni bolognese was delicious - perfect al dente pasta and a very flavorful sauce that was not too salty or creamy as so many other places are. The icing on the cake was the absolutely delicious Creme Brulee -- perfect texture and flavor and not too sweet. Service was great. I highly recommend trying this place.. it took me a few years to. It was most definitely worth the price!

Had a fantastic dinner at I’ll Pellicano. Two of us ordered the halibut special. The fish was cooked to perfection and was on a bed of perfectly roasted fingerling potatoes, spinach and cherry tomatoes. Ladled on the plate was a silky smooth, sumptuous sauce of white wine and…something. Wish I knew what. Would like to try making at home. To finish the beautiful presentation was a ring of wonderfully herbaceous imported Italian extra virgin olive oil and a crown of exotic baby herbs. We go there about once a month, on average, and the service was friendly and attentive. Call me old fashioned, but I love a restaurant with linen table cloths and napkins. The delicious food and welcoming atmosphere will keep us coming back again and again!

An absolute gem in Westport! Il Pellicano delivers an impeccable dining experience with exquisite Italian cuisine and impeccable service. From the cozy ambiance to the flavorful dishes, every visit is a delight. A true culinary haven deserving of five stars!

Quaint italian restaurant. Food was good and atmosphere is dim lighting and relaxing. Starters were tasty, we tried the buratta, the cheese board, lasagna and the calamari. Calamari had a nice crust and was not at all oily. Caccio e pepe entree was done well. Its a simple item but needs to be done right to be good and this one was. Steak and pork chop entrees were both tasty but pork was cooked a little pinker than we usually like so may want to oder it to be more well done. Alla Panna was delicious. Sauce was not too heavy and tortellini was very tender. We never looked at the wine list as the main menu had several options for bottles of wine. Desserts were nice but we were disappointed that they did not have the olive oil cake. It was the dessert we all wanted to try. Our reservation was early in the evening so not sure why this dessert would already have been off the menu. I have been to several italian restaurants in Fairfield and I think this is one of the nicest for food and atmosphere, will definitely return.

Such a lovely place! the food is amazing, the most delicious restaurant in Fairfield ! A charming place with an unforgettable atmosphere! I want to come back and enjoy it again and again. Thank you for your service!

Do you know when you arrive somewhere and you feel you aren't welcome? That's how the host made my friend and me feel when we arrived for an earlier dinner, no welcome at all. We still decided to stay and try the food that in my opinion is overpriced for the taste. My star goes to the waiters who were nice and the olive oil sample was delicious. I wouldn't come back though.

We decided to give this place a second chance and we are glad we did. Came here for an early Friday dinner. Bright and inviting interior, I think helped by the large window views on the corner of the block in the heart of downtown Fairfield. The service staff were friendly and attentive. Our food and drinks were very well made. Our line up: Cocktail Caesar salad to start Octopus and fingerling potato app 2 homemade fresh pasta dishes Afogado ice cream Coffees Yes a little pricier than other italian options nearby but I thought it was worth it. We'll be back to try something else on the menu.

Another great meal at I'll Pelicans. Food and service were excellent. Had a nice bottle of wine and great company. Love this place!

Great ambiance and love the downtown location. The service is good, but the food is only decent for the price. I really wanted to like it more. I would still go here for a date or small group. Maybe I'll try them again down the road.

What an excellent dining experience. The food and service was outstanding! For starters they bring a small dish of olives which are delicious. We ordered a sampling of several olive oils which were accompanied by warm bread. Tasting the 3 different varieties of olive oil was really good, each complex in its own way. For our entrees my girlfriend had the lamb lollipops served over polenta and I had the salmon served over a cauliflower purée. Both dishes were absolutely magnificent. The salmon was cooked perfectly with crispy skin and the cauliflower purée was insanely good. My girlfriend's lamb chops were cooked perfectly and she loved the polenta. We will definitely come back for other items on the menu. To end our meal we had an almond cake which was so good!

You would be hard-pressed to find a more expensive restaurant in all of Fairfield County that has pretty good food but is an outrageous ripoff. $9 for bread? How about without the olive oil flight? This is no Esh with a really special bread and dip service that's well worth the price. I live only a few blocks away from Il Pellicano but would not consider patronizing again.

Italian I usually cook at home and rarely find eating it out as good, but this place is perfection and worth the night out. I come here every time for the bolognese which is out of this world, incredible with crunch and parsley infused ricotta cheese, there's likely orange zest citrus note that makes this dish so different than every other bolognese I've ever had. I get this every time, I never ever order bolognese anywhere as it's not something I usually even like, but here is a different level. Tonight also tried the gnocchi, which is so rarely done well, like cloud pillows melting with taleggio, truffle, and crispy spec just insanely good. Massimo, bartenders, and servers are so amazing you feel at home. Yooooooo check them out!!!!!

Enjoyed my girls dinner here. The starter focaccia bread is delish but wish it came with more the portions were a bit small. All the pastas looked great and were big portions. I got the bolognese which was delicious but came with so much I wasn't able to finish it. The drinks were great but also on the smaller side. Overall would come back for sure but is a bit expensive

Where to begin? I want to love this restaurant, and the food was fine, however there was something that is preventing me from giving a 5. Let's explore. I knew going in the price point was going to be 40-50 a person and I assumed that the portions were going to be moderate, so I should not be surprised by the check or my desire to grab a snack after we finished. We did not have a reservation so we sat near the kitchen. I love sitting near the kitchen. As a person who used to work in restaurants, you learn quickly everything about a restaurant by how they treat their staff and what are their priorities. The runner was the star of the place. Massimo should give that young man a huge raise because he made every plate sing. There seemed to have been a bet, challenge, or deep desire to sell all the tomahawks. Perhaps at $165 a plate, they weren't going as fast, but fist bumps all around for each sale. I read some reviews indicating the food was fine or meh.... I actually think the food was good, however I just kick myself because most of the items on the menu I can make myself, I should have read the menu more closely before entering but wanted to give the place a second go. The waiter asked us twice if we wanted salads, apps or sides... that should have been our cue. They were selling bread with flights of olive oil, I think my review may have been higher if they threw us a token piece of bread along with the olives. One review indicated the food lacked salt, I may need to agree with my fish however the sausage added plenty of salt to the pasta. All in all if this was a local restaurant, and the prices were a bit less, I would come back to try other items, but my husband agrees it is a nice place, with nice people, with a nice, but limited, menu.

The service is outstanding, thank you David for steering us towards the best cooked swordfish I have ever had. Great environment. Sat a two top and watched the kitchen do their thing. This place executes at a high level. Try Prosecco on tap w their spritz concoctions. I will be back!

Che figata! Massimo greeted us with warm enthusiasm as soon as we walked in the door and made my girlfriend and myself feel right at home. From my reservation he noticed my name was "Mario" and immediately began speaking to us in Italian and gave us our choice of seats within the restaurant. One glance at the menu and we knew we were in for an outstanding experience. Outstanding doesn't cover it. The pasta was exquisite. My girlfriend and I both looked at each other after 1 bite and both said we'd drive out of our way to eat here again and again. If you want to eat excellent Italian food in Connecticut, this is it. Come here. We haven't found pasta anywhere close to this quality in the entire tri-state area. Drop everything you're doing right now and get over there right now. I'm not kidding.

Ok, but overpriced and mediocre food. Drinks are way overpriced, food is ok. The salad had barely any cheese, the salmon was overcooked, and the dessert extremely small for the price.

Fabulous experience tonight - excellent service, pleasing food presentation, tasty and well crafted cocktails, delicious food. menu has something for everyone. attentive and engaging manager made it seem as though we were the only patrons there. wonderful time with friends. thanks Il Pellicano.

Corkage is $60 Shorter wine list but some solid selections - just 200+% mark up - even at the higher end so any bottle you bring over $30 makes sense Suggested Durand (20 year old wine) and was given a nod (I got it) Broke cork with lever pull (as if my fault) - rescued bottom half with some help No decanter offered. Food is straight forward but well made with generous portions You will have to establish that you are not subject to helping table turn It is not quiet but nice on inside - not elbow to elbow

Il Pellicano is a very cute Italian spot that I believe opened somewhat recently. Dined with a relative and our expectations were surpassed by a mammoth margin. Ordered the olive oil flight and the Polpette Pomodoro as appetizers. Love the olive oil sampling concept - 3 different olive oils served with warm, freshly made bread. The olive oils tasted awesome and was absolutely worth it. The meatballs were also perfectly tender, and I liked the crostini that came with it, even though it was on the crunchier side. We ordered pasta for our entrées and were blown away. My relative ordered the Potato Gnocchi Gratine and loved every creamy bite. The gnocchi was on the pillowy side which is well-suited considering the heavier fontina cheese sauce. The speck, truffle oil, and the toasted crumbs added a much welcomed crunch and added richness. I ordered the tortellini and the arrabbiata was perfectly spicy. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the meat filling was a much-welcomed complement. It's one of the best pasta dishes I had in a long time. It was a great time, in a nicely designed dining room, and proficient service. It's most certainly five stars from me!

Very lovely vibes, gorgeous decor and beautiful food. But the flavor of the food just didn't hit. The drinks were spectacular. I think all the food items kind of lacked salt. We ordered the octopus which was just a weird dish. I think it needed acid. Pastas seemed homemade but again just felt like they needed salt or cheese, or just something extra. The waiter was great and overall ambience was great, but I've eaten better food at less fancy restaurants.

Nothing good to say about this place. It was our first time there and our last. While my party did not have a reservation, we were seated right away. About an hour into our meal, the stares started from the front stand. Not one, not two, but from three people. The waitstaff was coming up to us about every ten minutes after asking if we were done. As soon as our plates were taken away, the host/manager asked if we could finish our wine at the bar as there was another party waiting. We were barely there for an hour and a half! Don't agree to serve someone dinner if you can't provide the time for a party to finish their meal. I just got off the phone with the manager of the restaurant to express my disappointment and told them I'd be writing a review. "Do what you gotta do" he said. Done! Fly away from this restaurant folks!

The food was spectacular. Service excellent. My only complaint was a cup of tea was $8. There may have been a written dessert menu, but we asked what was available and then requested tea so we didn't see one and I didn't anticipates it would cost so much. (Perhaps it was something special, I found it bitter.) But the meal and service and wine list were all terrific and I look forward to returning

The service was very good. The host very welcoming. The tables are too close together & too small, the plates barely fit, very little elbow room & too close to next table with conversations being distracting. The entrees were expensive but small. No bread offered. Salads are extra which seems to be the trend. No extras ( would think this would be part of offering with the prices & small portions). Not very generous. The flavors very standard and nothing particularly special for the cost. The staff really tried & were very attentive & friendly. But the food just didn't wow. In the end we had a large bill for the two of us. But the flavors were not enough to bring us back.

Meh. I went last night. The service was initially very slow as it took a little over 10 minutes until the server even came to the table. After he initially came over though, he came over frequently. However there was some things that I didn't like. I wanted a beer and saw about 5 or 6 listed out on the menu and below them it said to ask your server for rotating and seasonal selections. I asked and the server said, "we don't do that". Then why have that stated on your menu? I can't be the only one that has asked what else they have for beer. If you "don't do that", remove that line from your disposable paper menus then. Also, the menu is very limited but the Tortellini sounded good so I went with that. While it was good, the serving size of that dish was a complete joke. I literally finished it in about 2 minutes. In my opinion it was smaller than even an appetizer. Pasta is one of the cheapest foods out there and this place couldn't even give a modest serving. Would I return, absolutely not. There are way better established Italian restaurants in the area.

Just went here for the first time last night, a busy Saturday and was so disappointed. The service was honestly insanely slow/ non existent. Our waitress looked like she either hates her life or hates her life. We ordered drinks and it was at least 20 min until we got them. Then we ordered food and it actually came out great pretty fast (the food is ok, and way overpriced) three mini metal balls $17! I know inflation has been the name of the game in the US but come on! After our food, we didn't see the waitress again until we had a question on the bill. We lost our waitress for 45 min, which the restaurant was getting busy (we where a table of 5) so the guy running the front comes over and ask if we want dessert we said yes. He rushes us to take our order (they now needed our table) mind you our waitress no where to be found! We get our dessert and honestly again mediocre the ice cream is not gelato it's ice cream and the tiramisu I make better at home. Then we have a question on the bill, and the waitress magically shows up. Gives a strong eye roll when we ask what something on the bill was then takes our card. Honestly, pasta is fresh portions are small, service is trash.

For some reason there are three 5 star reviews that Yelp says are "Not Recommended" but are obviously written by real people. Anyway, like they did, we had a wonderful meal at Il Pellicano. We went for my birthday dinner and I felt very welcome and the food was great. We loved each course and the wine our waitress recommended was perfect. I can't wait to go back!

Long overdue review but we've become regulars at Massimo's now not so new gem in Fairfield. Great atmosphere, killer cocktails, creative dishes and a wonderful host always. One of our favorite spots in Fairfield and we had our daughters "night before rehearsal" dinner there and the whole extended family had a great time...

Excellent service, food, bar. Highly recommend, really great bar, the bar stools are truly comfy.

We dined on a Saturday night at 5:15. The restaurant was empty when we went in and the service over the top. By the time we finished at 7pm you had to ask for someone to visit the table. The food was excellent which is why we probably keep going.

We came here a while back, they had been open about 6 weeks or so. We had reservations for 2 and were seated in main dining area upon arrival. The bar was pretty full, the dining area where we were about a third full. The busser came by and did his job with water, then it just unfolded in such a bad way.... The lady waiting on us dropped menus, we planned to order a cocktail first. She literally came back in 30 seconds to take drink order, even after we said we needed to look at cocktail list. (Seriously-why bother offering a list of craft cocktails and not allow people to view it??). Ordered a couple of Negronis... it's a rocks glass with an artisan ice cube and the booze is up about 1/3 - 1/2 of glass. Sorry, but if you're charging $15 or $16 for that drink, at least do a decent pour. Drinks on table, not even a chance for a sip or ? Waitress back for food order.... Once again (feeling rushed for no reason). I explained that I haven't had a chance to look at menu and she replied that I should have a sip of my drink and she'd return for order. Not good. (Restaurant is still 1/3 full). Food comes - a carpaccio with so much grated (not shaved) Parmesan that it was nearly inedible. The proportions were so out of whack, and who puts grated cheese on this dish (no less a 1/2" layer)? A kale salad was overdressed to the point of being laughable. Entrees (no bread for our table for some reason even though we saw it served at others). A pappardelle pasta with a ragu of short ribs sounded good, but when it arrived, the undercooked (chewy) pieces of meat were cut into chunks the size of a half dollar. Just a terrible rendition of what this could have been, not to mention a complete waste of an expensive cut of meat. I had the "double cut" pork chop, which was not. It was probably an inch thick (so why call it 2x cut)? It's a pork chop, that's it...and it's not worth the $36 you are asking for it. Cute space, terrible service (restaurant still 1/3 full when we left), food was literally a half a star. Not worth giving a second look with so many other great places in town.

i went w/my friend because she said that it was so enjoyable atmosphere & food wise..& she was sooo right! Loved the pasta w/mushrooms, caesar salad, the fish special & a few more dishes-all were really good

Just had dinner. Sat at the bar. Overall, great place. Bartender was sweet and engaging. Made my wife a great margarita. Burrata and rice balls were really good. Salmon- for $34 was extremely small (the kitchen should have caught that). Just not worth it. It was also a little fishy. (Hard for kitchen to catch that, maybe). One other observation. All the wait staff and hosts all dressed great, nice jackets shirts , looked the part. Oddly enough the guy who seemed like a manager (I could be wrong) wore a t-shirt. To that guy- set a better example. I'd go back. But expectations will be high.

I wanted to love this place. The ambiance was so great and the service was decent. The food was not good...plain and simple, not good at all. For the amount of money we spent I would have thought at least one in our party of 4 would have been satisfied. This was my first and my last time at this restaurant. Too many other places to choose from in Fairfield county, I don't recommend this place unfortunately.

Liked the atmosphere and service was good. Very good burratta appetizer. You don't get any bread unless you order a $10 olive oil sampler (found this to be a negative). I had Caccio e Pepe for an entree and it was wonderful. My wife had the NY Strip and steak is not a core competency of this restaurant. Most people stuck with the pasta and we can see why. Will go back again and we'll also stick with the pasta.

Fantastic Italian food, excellent service and setting. The best new restaurant to open in Fairfield in years. MUCH more than the typical local Italian fare; this restaurant is exactly what you'd find on a side street in Rome. Fine dining and service, excellent wine list, and the best espresso I've had since last the time I was in Rome.

We came for my birthday and had a 7 pm reservation. Our table wasn't ready, but the hostesses said 5-10 minutes to wait... if only that had been the case. A member of our group is 82 and walks with a cane. After waiting for 20 minutes we asked them for a chair for him- the hostesses smiled and nodded and did nothing. We asked again a few minutes later- nothing happened. We asked the manager and still no one did anything. We stood in the entrance for 45 minutes waiting. Never once did anyone offer us a drink, even water, or a seat for our elderly friend. We got fed up and demanded that they give him a seat in the back (where there had been a two-top available the whole time that they could have offered him). He sat and they brought us a drink and finally asked the table we were waiting for to leave. I have worked in many restaurants and I have never seen such stupidity and lack of care from the manager and host staff. Waiting for a table to leave is one thing, but expecting an elderly person with a cane to stand and not offer even water is just rude and shows how little they understand hospitality. For our troubles, they gave us two drinks on the house. Pretty sad excuse for an apology. Not a great birthday thanks to their front-of-house staff. The food was good. Not the best, but we loved the starters (also we were starving by then so who knows). Our waiter was very attentive and the food came out quickly. The atmosphere is very nice and even though it was a crowded Saturday night, it was not too loud.

What a disappointment our New Year's Eve meal was!! Servings were small and food was lukewarm. The price was outrageous!! We will never eat there again!! We have been there for lunch twice and were very impressed. But after last night we will never return. NEL

Very enjoyable night when spent at il pelicano. The service is great and the food is delicious. One of the best bolognese dishes I've ever had. Pasta is very fresh. Love the olive oil flight too!

Non-existent service. We sit down for 15 minutes with no server or anything. Then a man (assuming manager or owner) comes over and just says "what are you drinking?". I tell him I have a few questions on the menu and still thinking and he just abruptly leaves. Comes back 10 minutes later and asks what we're having. Rest of the night we do not have a single person check in with us besides the water boys (who were outstanding!). Our entire tip was for them as they were the only workers who seemed to acknowledge our existence. For the price, not worth it at all unless you don't mind being an afterthought in the restaurant. I've had better service from fast casual establishments.

The place was packed but never felt crowded. The staff is wonderful and the food is delicious. Definitely going back!

foods good but portions are tiny, portion was appetizer size. They even charge for bread. Service was ok. not a repeater for me. NY City prices for Fairfield. nah

Omg! Made a reservation for 5- walked in at 5pm. restaurant empty ready for opening. The hostess proceeds to tell us she has our table in the back but implies it's not a good table- looks and says there is nowhere else she can seat us We sit at a table for 4 and realize we're too tight. she tries to put us at the table in back which is indeed a terrible table. No thank you. Watch us leave. We get to the car only to see that it is just past 5 and there are a miriad of reservations available for 6 all night long. Mind you, we were 5 adult, nicely dressed, looking for a nice evening out. I do not recommend this place- terrible hospitality and disgusting attitude. my daughter had a similar experience for Valentine's Day where they ended up seating them at the bar instead of giving them a table. Awful No thank you to Il Pellicano. We ended with a lovely evening and delicious meal and welcoming hospitality across the road at Molto!!!

Ouch... Six months ago, happily gave a 5 star review. "Twas our favorite new restaurant... But recently sat down to their new menu and wow, the prices have skyrocketed. Basically there seems to be no appetizer under $20... And portions are skimpy at best. Sorry, New York prices in Fairfield just don't cut it. The maître d' Massimo is his usual, charming self... and waitstaff is mostly nice... One of the bartenders reminds us in both demeanor and countenance of the nurse from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (she's been here for a while, and we all scratch our heads each time wondering how she keeps her job! ). All in all a decent restaurant with some consistent and inventive mains, but they better watch the prices, food quality... And that bartender!

Food is great. Atmosphere is great. Though, we've been there six times and three of the times were just awful experiences thanks to the same snobby waitress who simply failed to care about getting our orders right. Literally, didn't care ... even when we questioned her, she gave us snobby and dismissive answers, which were different from Massimo's answers (the owner?).

I cannot tell you how amazing this new restaurant is it has everything vibe hemisphere food is off the planet the host and owner Massimo is by far the guy with the best energy and I have been here the last six out of 15 days I would give it 15 stars if I have that available Hey

A true experience, from start to finish. Them we stared with the aranchini and burrata, followed by the funghi and Bolognese pasta. We finished with gelato and mousse. Everything was incredible. Our waiter Colton took the night from above to beyond!

Extremely disappointed in our dinner last night. I waited months to get a reservation...and was I disappointed. Carpaccio was like a paste you couldn't pick it up from the dish. I had Clams and Linguini, filled with sand. We also had the Short Rib. Flavourless. They charge $9. for 6 tiny pieces of ciabatta bread with 3 SMALL dipping oils...Totally absurd. I would never recommend or go back. One positive thing was Fallon our server. Very nice and professional...She brought us over two limoncello's because of my complaint, it simply was not enough. I'm sure MOST folks will go there once but will quickly come to realize that it isn't all that.

We sat at the bar and had a great time. Bartender was very friendly and made great drinks. Apps and Caesar salad were delicious. Entrees we're also delicious. We were stuffed so didn't have dessert. We will definitely be back. Overall great experience.

My first visit and won't be my last. Had dinner with a friend prior to a show at the SHU Community Theater and was totally impressed by the appearance, the service and the delicious meal. There were so many nice touches showing that the wait staff has been trained well. Friendly, efficient and professional. The restaurant has a fun and lively vibe and yet with space between the tables to enjoy a conversation. The food was delicious and served quickly but without feeling rushed. What impressed me most though was the feeling that although it was our first visit we were treated as if we were long time patrons. A wonderful experience and looking forward to my next visit.

My wife and I visited here last Friday and are still talking about it. Holy amazing service! The service was SO good. It reminded me how good service can really create an evening. I'm usually one to say I don't care - it's all about the food - but then I was reminded that when it's on this level it does matter. Just amazing. Of the menu items we ordered the halibut was the fave. A perfectly cooked and accompanied piece of fish. Do not miss it.

Had lunch yesterday and dinner today. Home run after home run. Flavors are out of this world. Highly recommend. Can't think of anything to complain about. Great staff, great vibe. Will be back again soon.

I made a birthday party for 20 women at this restaurant last week and it was just fabulous. The food was delicious and everything went off without a hitch. The service was great! Everyone went out of their way to make the party wonderful! If you want great food and great service this is the place! You won't be disappointed. The truffle risotto had real truffles and didn't just use truffle oil!

An amazing vibe with amazing foods. Whether it is date night, or going with girlfriends, you cannot go wrong. Nothing better than great food, great beverages, a wonderful atmosphere. I am sold and will be a complete regular at this establishment.

Unremarkable in essentially every way. The salads and eggplant parm appetizer was bland. The bolognese was average and not better than most people can make at home. The escarole was undercooked and under seasoned. The beat salad is good, though undercooked. There are several italian restaurants in downtown Fairfield that serve better food, especially at these prices. Service is good, so far. The kitchen is essentially in the dining room due to the small size of the restaurant so it is quite noisy for those diners seated in the rear of the room.