The Charles

We came in here for a late weekday lunch. It was the best meal in Wethersfield. We had a hard time deciding what to order off the menu as everything looks so appetizing and the dishes on other people's tables all look delicious too. We ended up ordering the Fish 'n Chips and the Butternut squash orecchiette pasta dish. Portions sizes were large and the food was delicious. The breaded fish was so light and flakey. It was tender and falling apart. It was just perfect and not overcooked. Next time, I will have to remember to order the truffle fries to accompany it. The orecchiette pasta was very filling and my friend was very happy with it. Service was great too. Our waiter checked in on us often and seemed happy to be working there.

Had a great time at The Charles with my coworkers! The vibe was warm and welcoming, and everything—from the food to the service—was spot on. We tried a mix of dishes and honestly, not a single bite disappointed. The staff was super friendly and made us feel right at home. Definitely a place I’d go back to, whether it’s for a chill dinner or something a little more celebratory.

The service that we received from Logan was amazing and over the top. I've never had a waiter cater to us so much. He was amazing. He gave suggestions that were great he made sure that we didn't need anything he was attentive. It was our anniversary and I believe it was the owner for a manager that sat down and she was amazing as well she was very pleasant and even give us a card because we were celebrating our anniversary. They have an outdoor area where you can sit. They have a bar. They have downstairs area where you can sit and when it gets busy you can go upstairs. I wish I could really go every week because it was that great. It's very difficult for my husband to like a place and he had no complaints here.

We love The Charles! Service is always really kind and welcoming, atmosphere is cozy, and the food is consistently delicious. I recently tried the Harvest Orecchiette pasta and it was unique and tasty. I’m still thinking about it! The sausage appetizer is a fav too. Oh and their pumpkin beers have a cinnamon sugar rim. If you’re a pumpkin beer fan, this is a MUST TRY. It’s pure Fall in a glass! Also worth mentioning is their super well priced and thoughtful kids menu. Our kids love the food and we love that they can come along with us. You really can’t go wrong with a visit to The Charles!

We have driven past this restaurant a few times and always wanted to try it out. We made a reservation for outdoor seating so we can bring our dog with us. We waited about 15 minutes for our table but they do have chairs outside where you can sit and wait. The waiter also came by to take our drink orders while we waited for table. I had the lamb chops, others have Roasted Salmon and Skate Meunière. We also shared 32nd Street Octopus as appetizer. All dishes were seasoned well. I really enjoyed the beet hummus that comes with the lamp chop. We had the Banoffee Tart (the name implies it has coffee but it does not. It does have chocolates) and the Chocolate Mousse Cake. From the food, to the atmosphere to the serving staff, and an added bonus of a lovely summer evening, we had a great time.

My girlfriends and I spent a day in Wethersfield, and had dinner consisting of apps. My friends split the beet salad, and we all split the deviled eggs, truffle fries, chicken croquettes, butternut arancini and I had the French onion soup. Everything was delicious but let me tell you what, I will be dreaming of their take on French onion soup for the rest of my days until I can visit again. It’s a rich savory beef broth, with caramelized onion and Gruyère pierogis, topped with a crunchy layer of cheese. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had before. The cozy vibes of the restaurant were perfect for a cold November night. 10/10 will be back for a visit next time I’m in CT!

Just had a small bridal shower upstairs. Phenomenal experience. Angela was easy to work with & they even had an online guest portal for us with menus/contract etc. so I could easily check it. She also helped us with a last minute room change since it was a smaller RSVP than expected & it wasn’t a problem. We ordered a cake through the Charles too and it was beyond beautiful and we got so many compliments on the food & especially the cake. We love The Charles to eat regularly but the experience with a private event was amazing as well.

My partner researched this restaurant for a year. They got gluten'd during the "Gluten free" appetizers. It wasn't cross contamination and they have celiac. The manager proceeded to argue with me about how much gluten was in the food while my partner grimaced in pain. We were so excited and offered to pay for the scotch egg we thought was the issue but his attitude made it not worth it. It might be safe for gluten sensitive people but for people with celiac its not safe. Abby the waitress was great.

The maitre D cheerfully greeted us upon arrival. We had a reservation which was a good thing as it was busy at 12:30pm on a Thursday. We requested a quiet area and we were escorted to the 2nd floor that has 2 lovely rooms. Our room has a beautiful floral mural. The food was excellent including the Steak Frites that comes with a delicious sauce. The French Fries were perfectly...crispy on the outside and creamy inside with full potato flavor. I had the Charlie Burger that was cooked medium perfectly. My Sister had the Reuben that did not disappoint. The chicken sandwich wrap and The Philly cheese steak Sub were also delish. The menu seems Farm to Table...lots special here! I ordered the Pear Ginger Bread Pudding and it was a bit too gingery....for me. BUT....all the other deserts were yummy. We shared... Overall 5 STARS across the board Food, Service and Ambiance. Don't miss this Jewel. You'll be happy.

I typically never take the time to write a review but I need to share feedback on what my family just experience for the $65 pre-fixed menu at our Mother's Day celebration. I have loved this establishment for years and have never had any issues which is why the experience yesterday was so shocking and disappointing. I also would like to write a quick caveat that I do still stand by them as a great place, but would advise going to an event like this. For background, we were an 8 top (7 adults, 1 child) with an 11:30am reservation. We would not end up leaving until 2pm due to the service being so slow. I understand that an 8 top is going to be slower service to begin with, but taking 2.5 hours just seemed outrageous. We never received any bread for the table, and even ordered a drink that never showed up. We would have to constantly ask for water refills and never received the proper cutlery when our meals came. For examples, needed to ask for a spoon with soup, needed to ask for steak knives with the steaks, never even received forks for our desserts. For a five star top tier restaurant, I was embarrassed to have organized this for three of the mothers in my family. Hopefully none of the other mothers had this terrible of an experience yesterday. After years of celebrating birthdays and anniversaries at The Charles, my family and I do not know when we'll be back.

The Charles is nestled in the center of old Wethersfield, which is a very cute quaint community. When going to the restaurant be prepared to look for parking or if you had a tip from someone who lives in town, you know you can park in certain marked spots at the firehouse next-door. We went into the Charles before a show in Hartford. I made a reservation and we didn't have to wait at all, We went right to our seats. We were put in an upstairs room that was pretty chilly. I had to keep my coat on the waiter, said that the heater was broken now this was December. OK, well we toughed it out. I got a drink warmed me up a little bit. We started out with a waitress. I'm not sure what happened to her but after we sat there a while, but we ended up with somebody else so it took a little bit longer than we anticipated. For appetizers, we ordered the tuna nachos and the deviled eggs, Both were very delicious. My husband ordered the French onion soup and I had the beef barley soup, those are very tasty. For dinner my husband ordered the duck and was a little disappointed because it came dry with a very minimal amount of sauce. I ordered the cod It was lacking in flavor, pretty bland. We went there during Christmas time. I felt like we were stuffed in a corner, where the rest of the house was very pretty lively and filled with decorations in our area was just ehh. We went on the recommendation from a family member for the cost of our dinner. Would we go back probably not.

Even if I wasn't gluten free or dairy free I would still love this place. The staff is lovely, the setting is charming and the food is fantastic. But I especially appreciate how well the menu is marked and how many incredible options I have. GF scotch egg!? Come on! And I don't know what magic dust they put in the grilled octopus, but I'd go back just for that. It's rare for me to give 5 stars. But this is a special occasion place and really a treat.

I have been to the Charles a handful of times , it's located in old Wethersfield and has its historic charm. I was back again at the Charles last week for a work related dinner. We started off with a round of appetizers. To start the cauliflower was amazing ! We got 2 orders and both were gone before any of the other appetizers so highly recommend ! The sauce that covered the cauliflower was just amazing ... I'm still drooling just thinking about it . We had to get the homemade sausage .. that's always a fan favourite . I tried the whipped ricotta which was delicious very light and flavourful perfect for an appetizer . We also got the fried egg .. which was not a hit at the table unfortunately. Moving onto the entrees, I got the ny strip which was cooked as I requested (medium ) and it was really good ( not the best I had, but still really good ) . The steak was not too fatty , the sauce was delicious and was served with fresh fingerling potatoes and green beans. I also went a little extra and got a side of truffle Mac and cheese .. which looked and tasted amazing ( so much so others at the table requested it as an additional side as well ) Everything on the plate tasted delicious so no complaints here! The paella looked phenomenal and according to my work friend tasted fantastic as well ( if you like seafood probably the best dish out of the whole table ) ! For dessert I got the seasonal strawberry rhubarb crumble served with a macaron ! The macaron was delicious and I was pleasantly happy with strawberry crumble. However, it was served with whipped cream .. but I think ice cream would have made it perfect, to complement the warm dessert ! My friend also got the key "lime" pie which we were all wondering why the lime was in quotations ... turns out the whole pie is in the shape of a lime ! Well done Charles ! Well done ! The service was great today , everyone was so kind and thoughtful , checking in constantly to make sure everyone had everything they needed and service of the food was quick as well . P.s . if you have time after your meal, old Wethersfield is a beautiful town to take a nice stroll . And especially in the fall when they have the whole town decorated for Halloween.

Wethersfield is a bit of a drive for us, but The Charles made the trip absolutely worthwhile, and we had a wonderful experience dining there. Their motto, "vintage feel with a modern taste" is spot on. We especially loved that The Charles occupies a beautifully restored historical home dating back to the Revolutionary War. The elegant interior, with its upstairs and downstairs seating, easily accommodates a large number of guests while retaining its historical charm. We found the staff to be courteous and very well trained as well. My "Battle Royale" cocktail with its spiced salt rim was the perfect start to the meal. The homemade sausage appetizer was delicious; we only wished it came with a bit more of the grilled baguette (though the complimentary bread helped make up for it!). Our entrees were equally impressive. The meats in the Sunday Sauce parpadelle were nice and tender, and the truffle fries were a perfect accompaniment to a well-made burger. Unfortunately our stomachs surrendered before we could make room for dessert, but definitely something to look forward to on a future occasion! We highly recommend The Charles to anyone looking for a fantastic dining experience, whether it's for a romantic dinner or a family gathering. Though it's a bit of a drive for us, we'll definitely be spreading the word to friends and family!

We went to the Charles this October on a really cool night. We were going to look at the scarecrows downtown and decided to drop in and have dinner. We wanted to sit outside, and it was so very beautiful (and a bit chilly!) Our waitress was very sweet and helpful. We chose to try a few appetizers and a dessert. We had the Beets n' Brie salad with roasted red & yellow beets, candied cashews, brie mousse, cara cara orange, pickled onion, shallot vinaigrette, house rye croutons. This dish was simply amazing. I would eat this over and ever again. We also had the Homemade Ricotta with roasted garlic, chile flake, pickled grapes, scallion, toasted hazelnuts, olive oil, wethersfield honey, grilled baguette. Again, another amazing dish. I love that they had vegetarian options for me, and that the dishes were large enough to be filling but not too large. For dessert we had the Sticky Toffee Cake with tamarind toffee sauce, brandy caramel snap, ginger ice cream. Omg the winner of the night. I will go back for this for sure. At one point I went in to use the bathroom and overheard some people from outside trying to move inside because it was chilly. The wait time was over 1.5 hours. It wasn't even the weekend so I suggest reserving a table in advance if you go, just in case. The inside was beautiful, I will definitely be going back to enjoy dinner inside next time. Truly a beautiful restaurant in a beautiful area. I would definitely recommend.

We had a wonderful experience at The Charles. The restaurant itself is a lovely historic home that was beautifully decorated for Christmas. The ambiance makes for an extra cozy spot for a fall or dinner meal. I would definitely return to try more menu items! The food was excellent, we didn't leave a crumb behind! Whenever I see a French onion soup on the menu I need to try it. Our server explained how they have a different take on the soup and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a rich, flavorful beef broth with caramelized onion pierogis and topped with a Parmesan crisp. So unique and absolutely delicious. All the same flavors but not as heavy as a traditional French onion. I also got the Autumn wedge salad which was delicious. Loved the different varieties of salads they offered. The flavor combination of all the ingredients here were perfectly paired. Sweet, savory, crunchy.

My friend and I went here for lunch while we were visiting the bicycles on Main and we sat at the bar. The last time I was here it was in the fall and it was for scarecrows on Main. My friend and I ordered the French onion soup to share which is deconstructed and has dumplings in it. I had a few mocktails and he had an IPA. Lunch was quick and delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed my pineapple and salmon dish and my friend enjoyed their spring yaki soba. I had a taste and the ingredients are salty, but it blends well with the noodles to create a good balance. Will definitely be back here again.

Once again, I celebrated my birthday at The Charles, enjoying another tasty meal. We dined in on a Saturday, having made reservations in advance since the restaurant fills up quickly, especially during the holidays. Inside, it was as cozy, and we were lucky to get a table with a view of the outside. This year, I had a special surprise: a birthday card signed by the entire staff. My husband had noted the occasion on reservation that it was for a birthday. We started with the Crispy Calamari--gluten-free, battered with rice flour, and served with banana peppers, house togarashi spice, and a rich, tangy sweet soy-black garlic aioli. The marinated cucumber was a refreshing touch and my favorite part. For my main dish, I chose the Pacific Cod, served with a white wine butter sauce, topped with golden raisins, and a red onion-caper relish. It was rich and flavorful, paired with smooth butternut squash creamed spinach, roasted fennel, and baby turnips. My husband had the Steak Frites, which was equally delicious. I appreciate how The Charles offers a variety of gluten-free and vegetarian options, all clearly marked on the menu, along with a great selection of drinks--including mocktails, which I, unfortunately, regret trying. I had made room for dessert, and with tempting holiday flavors, it was hard to choose. I settled on the Winter Spice Cheesecake with gingerbread crumbs and chantilly cream, which was flavorful and airy. The chantilly cream was a great touch to mix with the holiday spices. Another wonderful birthday at The Charles--I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

The food was exquisite, definitely the best I've had in the area as a local myself. I went for a celebration with my girlfriend and the waitress was not only attentive but kind and overall a pleasant person to be around. We didn't wait too long for food, and the ambiance was beautiful. If you are looking for a place for a company outing, an anniversary dinner or anything like that, you couldn't do better than here.

Beautiful fall day, looking for a charming New England town to visit - Weathersfield was a great option. And The Charles was a delish option. We were there on Sunday for lunch, and menu apparently had both lunch and dinner options from the respective menus. Started with bloody's, nice kick with horseradish - the only way I like them. The two soups were onion soup (served as I have never seen - with peroggies) and soup of the day was chickpea. They let me have a sample of the chick pea; it was good. And I tried the onion soup bc it looked so different. Totally worth it! My husband then had the sausage, bean, and peppers appetizer. Shockingly good. Have a bite with the bean, sausage and peppers. Soooo good! Had the chicken and dumplings. Couldn't eat it all; taking home for lunch. Crazy good. Hubby had the prime rib Philly. He love it! Friendly service. Great building. Lovely town.

First time here at The Charles and it wasn't great. We ordered a Reuben and a Steak sandwich for lunch while sitting at the bar. The Reuben was bland with very little cheese and just a smear of sauerkraut and dressing. The corned beef was brown and tasteless. We thought the meat might've been roast beef (?) and the preparation, a mistake, as we did go on a pretty busy day. The Steak Sandwich with chimichurri could have been good if the oversized chunks of tough meat were sliced thin enough to eat as a sandwich. Our side of fries were decent but the potatoes in the side of potato salad were pretty undercooked.We called the manager over to find out if the Reuben always looked like it did. He said yes,but offered us another one anyway. We should have ordered something different because the second one came out the same. It didn't have an ounce of flavor.The manager walked right behind us and never checked in to find how the second one was, which we thought was pretty poor. Needless to say, we ate very little of the Rueben. We told the bartender when he gave us the check so he could let the kitchen know and he did kindly take it off our bill. We talked with a friend afterwards who had been there on different visit and she said she didn't like what she ordered, either.The atmosphere is nice, but the food, disappointing.

We had tried this place during COVID years ago and had some things we didn't love about it but decided to come back because many people rave about it. I would say there were some positives. We enjoyed our drinks and the bread, my husband also liked his Sunday pasta ragu. It is also a very pretty restaurant, and has a nice comfortable ambiance. What we didn't like were some of the other dishes. The "pommes frites" are not that, they are frozen French fries, not at all what you would picture from the title of a normal pommes frites. Also, I got the chicken and dumplings and the chicken was quite dry, with the flavor of the whole dish being one note and not a very pleasant one. Overall we probably won't be back, there are better restaurants for the same price within ten minutes.

The food is always excellent here, but the hostess working yesterday at 4:50 PM wasn't very friendly and told us there was nothing available despite it not being very busy. I opened the OpenTable app and booked a readily available reservation for 10 minutes later and showed her and there was magically a table for us. Our server was wonderful and we happily did a full meal with apps, drinks, entrees, and dessert, but I don't understand the air of exclusivity and turning guests away when there's space.

The Charles is a hidden gem in Old Wethersfield with a charming historic vibe. You immediately get this cozy but upscale vibe upon entering to the lively sounds of chit chat and friendly conversation going on. We sat upstairs in a quiet corner near the window which was perfect. Our server was very friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining as well. We ordered drinks and the deviled eggs as an appetizer and the eggs were pretty tasty. Combine the eggs with the arugula and dressing it was really good. The sirricha added a nice kick but not too spicy. For our dinner I ordered the steak frites and my wife ordered the salmon. My steak was cooked perfectly and the truffle fries took it over the top. Glad I listened to our servers recommendation. My wife's salmon was cooked perfectly as well and the sauce was amazing and paired well with the fish. For dessert we had the fig and honey cheesecake and I also tried the bacon old fashioned which was Saturday morning breakfast in cocktail. Now that I have discovered The Charles, I will be making a return soon to explore more of its wonderful flavors.

We recently picked up takeout from The Charles. The service was friendly and knowledgeable, and the food was great! Many things can be made gluten free, including the fried things (clean fryer) which is always a plus! We got the calamari, the fish and chips, and the scotch egg. Starting with the calamari- I've noticed a trend in the restaurant industry recently to put more fried peppers than calamari in the order, The Charles was no exception. While the fried peppers are delicious, if I ordered calamari, I'd like to see more than 4-5 tentacles and a bunch of fried peppers. The fish and chips were delicious, the fish was cooked beautifully and I loved the pea mash. The scotch egg was also good. All in all, a good visit with great food. Definitely a place I'd consider ordering from again.

More like a 3.5+ but misses a 4. Everything was a bit better than solid but nothing was amazing. Not disappointed we went but won't remember anything we ate.

The Charles is an adorable restaurant in Old Wethersfield. The ambiance is so nice outside or inside and the staff is super friendly and accommodating. We have only been here for lunch and each item we received was decent. Considering the price I'm not sure if it is totally worth it but the ambiance does add a nice touch to justify it a little bit. I'd love to come back and try their speciality drinks and other menu items in the future.

This is my absolute go to restaurant , date night - check , work function - check , happy hour - check ! I have not had a meal I have not absolutely been blown away by ! Seasonal menu changes and drink recommendations are on point ! I love the beautiful inside as much as sitting outside ! When you find the one you just know !

I will say I enjoyed it well enough, but was also somewhat disappointed. Maybe my expectations were set too high, after seeing so many positive comments. Menu sounded promising! Lots of gluten free options. The food was good, but not excellent. Very very good bread and butter. Average charcuterie, which is easy to prepare. If there were something special about the items, I would have liked to hear more about them. Subpar, super mushy ratatouille served like a stew in a bowl. Overly sauced tuna tartare with tiny diced pieces of tuna. Dessert was good. Sadly, nothing special. Whatever freshness the tuna may have had was ruined by the sauce. The service was also good, but not quite up to par with professional fine dining. The ambiance was lovely. I enjoyed the antique building itself and the decor. It felt special. I wouldn't return for a special occasion. If I were meeting a friend for a casual dinner; I would definitely go back with the right expectations and try a different dish or two.

A solid dinner to ring out 2023 Ive been to the Charles once before as a guest for an event. The food was great, but it was just when the vaccines were rolling out. With fond memories, decided to bring my girlfriend with me to try this place again. The interior is very relaxed and very much a home gutted and built to handle the masses. Leads to a nice design but limited seating. Same with the parking. It's a small lot so you might need to park in one of the larger parking lots and walk to this place. Thankfully there's a couple such lots not that far away The server was very personable and very friendly. Had the gift of the gab, and the girlfriend and her enjoyed the side chatter. We got the special menu and saw the A5 wagyu. It's rare to find in CT, so we opted to give it a try. Along with some calamari, the deviled eggs, and a side of truffle Mac. Food was paced well, started with the eggs and calamari. The eggs were very good. Creamy, spicy, had a little crunchy element on top that gave it a little crispy pop. The calamari were cooked well and seasoned. Compared to the deviled eggs, they were lacking in any interesting flavors. They were good but basic. We got a little bread to share which was very well executed. Soft, warm, chewy interior with a firm but still soft crust. Paired with a fresh creamed butter sprinkled with sea salt? A very good bite. The wagyu, truffle Mac, and sausage were last. The sausage was spicy, salty, but had a good flavor which built as you would chew. The truffle Mac was strong on the truffle. It was very pungent in truffle which overpowered any of the other flavors. Pasta was cooked well, cheese sauce was creamy but fell flat due to the truffle. The wagyu, it was a great experience. It was cooked perfectly, seared in nothing but salt and pepper to the perfect med rare. The texture is akin to silky soft beef. The juices when chewed were very much pure fat with beef flavor mixed in. The appetizer portion was perfect in portion to the decadent meat being offered. Any more would've been too much. Price was high, but the quality of what was being offered made it worth the money. The food was delicious, the ambiance was comfortable, and although there were some minor gripes they were overshadowed with an amazing experience. As a special occasion place, this restaurant ranks high. It's not the easiest to get to and park, but the foods really good

Everything about The Charles is just excellent. Service, excellent. Ambiance, excellent. Cocktails, excellent. Food, allllllways excellent. Top picks: roasted oysters and short ribs. Plus random fab find- they have the best grits almost anywhere!!

We don't go to The Charles all that often, but I'm always onboard when the opportunity arises. We've had several meals there now, ranging from brunch/lunch to dinner, and have yet to be disappointed. The drinks are also generally quite good, the waitstaff is prompt and professional, the ambiance is clean, classy, and authentic to the town and age of the building, the surrounding area is nice and quaint, yet also quickly highway accessible. The kid's menu is also very fairly priced and for once offers more than the standard hot dog, chicken fingers or pasta that you see most places. The manner of serving the kid's items is great as well. Stable and well organized in what's more or less a large bento box. If you haven't tried The Charles yet, give it a shot for a special meal. Reservations recommended.

I really want to give The Charles a 5 star review, but unfortunately I just can't given the quality of food I received vs the price. I'll start with what I do really like about The Charles. Their Cesar salad is awesome. I also really like their French onion soup. The staff are all very attentive, the location is and ambience is great, and I love the outdoor seating. However, my main issue is with the quality of the entrees I had. I love a good French dip and I had my eyes set on the one here for a while. However, it really disappointed for the $19 cost. First, the grinder roll seemed a bit stale. Definitely not fresh. The meat was just okay. It was seasoned well, but didn't really seem like "prime rib", which is what's advertised. The dipping au jus was just okay as well. I also tried the Korean fried chicken, which again was just okay. I enjoyed it more than the French dip, but for the price it wasn't amazing. I plan to return and try some other entrees that will hopefully change my current opinion, but for now there is just more to be desired from the food in my opinion. It's hard to give a restaurant that charges this much for their food higher than 3 stars given that my favorite items are a salad and soup,

Just recently I came with a group If my foodie friends. This was actually the first time I ate inside of the Charles. Previously that I had been it was outdoors. It was really nice . Service continues to be excellent as well as the food. My favorite are the calamari. Not many places have GF calamari so I get excited, specially when it's excellent! My Mocktail was also delicious! I did try other dishes I was able to and enjoyed them very much! Love the presentation as well! For a Tuesday evening, it sure was busy busy! Get those reservations in if you plan to go! So many amazing dishes to choose from. All worth it!

The Charles was a super tasty restaurant with a good gluten free menu offering (in fact the whole fryer is gluten free)! We had their fish and chips with a tasty light and fresh pea mash, the fried calamari (which was 50% banana peppers ) and scotch egg. The fry on everything was flavorful and I would totally order the scotch egg and fish and chips again! The service kept pushing me to a different desk from the parking lot to make a to go order (servers stand to outside host to inside host). As the restaurant is a house, the bar area was kinda cool and cozy but also they made good use of the space and had great alcohol selection with a few TVs!

I guess I had high hopes because people rave about it. The service was good, the food was good, but nothing about it was extraordinary. Probably won't be back unless someone invites me there specifically though. Gave it 4 stars because 3 indicates there was a problem. There wasn't. It was just underwhelming.

Interesting place. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't as crowded but that's just me. I'm glad to see that it was busy on a Wednesday night! The place is beautifully decorated. FYI I don't know if they have handicap accommodations. We were seated upstairs. Also parking is a nightmare!! I circled twice before driving down the street and found parking on the street. I didn't see handicapped parking either. Ok, now to the food! Nothing bad there!! Food was amazing! Our server was a bit busy and was needed to be called vs being attentive. She didn't listen to my friend's full request because she walked away too quickly. Also my other friend's salmon was under done and needed to be returned which took a while to get again. Once she got it back she said it was great. I'd go back, but probably earlier when it's not quite as busy.

I have a new favorite restaurant! One a whim, I decided on birthday dinner at The Charles. Upon arrival, I was given a personally signed card... what a special touch, thank you! We were seated upstairs in a corner spot that overlooked the street. Beautiful mural by Jaime Jones.... Kevin was our waiter. He's so fantastic. Super knowledgeable, and when I asked if chef's tasting was available, he went and asked, and yay!!! it was. What a special experience. Every bite was delicious. Fresh, seasoned perfectly, just the right amount. We giggled in delight with each bite. This is a must go if you haven't been. My partner knew the owner and he stopped over to say hi and chat a bit. A PERFECT evening! Thanks everyone, we'll be back

Solo dinner - no reservations. Parking seemed a bit tricky with a limited lot and numerous signs around the location indicating no parking. I parked on the street and asked inside and they said it was fine. Seated immediately. Immaculate service throughout dinner with the right balance of attention. I ordered French onion soup, Brussels sprouts and truffles Mac & cheese and the pumpkin cheese cake. I enjoyed everything - especially the Brussels sprouts. Highly recommend and would return!

I had dinner from here on a Wednesday evening. As it was a Wednesday, I got a seat without reservation. Had it been any other day, I would have to go home empty handed. There were enough people on that day, just that the place was not full. My favorite item was chicken and dumpling. It had nice flavors, though not spicy. Sauce of Mala Cauliflower was super flavorful. I also went for a kids meal - grilled chicken. Chicken was charred more than I would love, but still it was good. It came with a cookie, apple, pickle and french fry. I would say kids meal was a bargain. It would fill an adult.

Everything came out quickly and our server was friendly, the deviled eggs were so good and a nice twist with the kimchi. The Mac and cheese could've used some seasoning and tuna melt was lack luster but overall a good meal!

Good food, friendly waiter, a bit of a wait for lunch because it was so busy. My partner had the Ruben sandwich with truffle fries, which he said was delicious. I ordered a tomato pasta with vegetables dish. It was good but didn't have enough veggies in the recipe. I ended up eating my partner's garlicky truffle fries, yummy.

I'm going to give you my totally honest, unbiased opinion of The Charles. TL;DR: Essentially, the food is GOOD, some dishes can be a flop while others more impressive, but it truly is not worth the high cost. We frequently dine at lucky Lou's across the street and we quickly agreed it's much better, consistent food and slightly cheaper. We probably won't come back to the Charles except for the cocktails and maybe for the excellent Shepherds pie. Reasoning and rating: Drinks ordered - 10/10 in this department - water was served free of charge and my husband ordered the Battle Royale, I had a beer. Outstanding cocktail and great pour of beer. Worth the price. I think my husbands battle royale was like $13 or so and very good value for the taste and quality. Appetizer - ordered the calamari for $17 freaking dollars and it gets a 3/10. The calamari was NOT a good one. The black garlic / Asian sauce was this super thick mushy concoction and was so salty I barely ate more than a few pieces. In addition, the calamari was fried and super dry so you really need something more creamy to dip into. The saltiness of the calamari and from the sauce was overpowering. The sad pieces of cucumber they sprinkled on top seemed random and didn't really add to the flavor, and in fact detracted from the texture. Waste of $17. Next appetizer was French onion soup. 5/10 rating. Note: THIS WAS NOT FRENCH ONION SOUP!!! It is a salty broth with a weird giant piece of parmesean cheese and then 4 pierogis filled with cheese. They should rename this dish as it does not taste like onions at all, and strays way too far from what a good French onion soup is. The broth had flavor and it was a somewhat pleasant soup, but super salty and just disappointed me as I love a traditional French onion soup. Main Dishes: Steak frites: 6/10 Very good all around and great flavor. The reason this rating isn't higher is because for $28 I expect a little more meat and felt the portion here was skimpy. Great green sauce and classic fries and dressing. The dish could be elevated if they also included a garlic aioli sauce for the fries. Shepherds pie: 8/10 for the price we expected quality, and my husband very much got his with this dish. It's lamb versus beef and the flavors worked very well. We felt this dish was deserving of the price tag.

We moved here in 2018 Covid took over a year later. We ventured out to eat, The Charles was amazing. We were at the bar with our little glass partitions and enjoyed everything at the time and more. Whenever we saw the owner, he would spend a lot of time with us and talk about everything and anything. Last evening we ventured out we were able to get a seat at the bar it was early enough and again Brice did not skip a beat came over and was so happy to see us and our meal was just wonderful... I recommend this place! the Atmosphere, staff and food are always 100% ... Bon Appetit!!!!

Very warm and homey feel, food and service are top notch. We started with Homemade Ricotta and Shrimp and Grits...both delicious! For dinner, my husband had the Firecracker Salad and added salmon. I don't like kale but tasted it and it was really good! I had the Organic Salmon which was great! Our dining companions had the swordfish special and enjoyed their dishes. I typically don't order dessert, but we all decided to share so we ordered the Pumpkin Cheesecake and the Martha Washington cake. I didn't even try the Pumpkin Cheesecake because the Martha Washington cake (and ice cream) was so awesome. I suddenly didn't want to share dessert...I wanted it all for myself!!

I've heard great things about The Charles so I was super excited to plan a dinner date here! My friend wasn't sure what to get, but I read up on some reviews and suggested she get the chicken & dumplings. She was obsessed! I got the steal frites cooked medium and it was perfect! We both got drinks and enjoyed them! My beast of bourbon was strong and smoky! We made online reservations for a Saturday at 8pm about two weeks ahead of time (valentine's weekend). We were seated immediately. Service was super fast and attentive! I would love to come back to try their french onion soup or their sunday brunch!

Came here for lunch on the weekend with some friends. They have a small parking lot and there's also street parking. The restaurant was decorated for the holidays and gave such a New England vibe. The cocktails were interesting... very creative and different. Tasty though. The food was also great. We had a lovely time. Service was a tad slow.

I'm a big fan of this place as I have been there in the past and have had a good experience. Recently however, I visited for dinner and the meals were ok, a little bit underwhelming. Obviously we only tried 2 dishes this time around, but they were not as good as I would have expected. We had the cubano sandwich and the Bolognese pasta. The sandwich was ok, my first reaction was that I could have made this sandwich home, it wasn't really that great. The truffle fries however were great. The pasta, was not that impressive either, I enjoy Bolognese dishes and I have had my share over the years and I must say this is was not in my top 10. Now with thar said, I think the location is great, the ambience is pretty cool to come to ear with family or special one. Service was outstanding, and the dessert we had (some sort of pineapple cake with ice cream) was very good. I would give it a other try in the future and try different dishes.

This was our first visit to this well-reviewed restaurant! It is a beautiful, old house. Parking is tricky (don't bother trying to park in the small lot adjacent)-- we followed the map and parked at the Keeney Lot. I'd suggest when making a reservation, to let them know if you have mobility issues because we were seated up a steep flight of stairs in what I assume was an old bedroom. Beautiful floral mural on the wall, classy decor. For a place voted "most romantic", I would have thought the tables would have candles or flowers but the tables and seating are basic. We were brought warm bread and salted butter-- great start! For an appetizer, we had the kanzuri popcorn chicken-- nice portion size, crispy! For entrees, I had the Duck a l'orange and hubs had the Seoul short ribs. My duck was cooked perfectly, would've appreciated more of the blood orange jus as that just mixed with the potato sunchoke mash. The short ribs had great flavor but the description of the dish is misleading-- it said "sesame miso laced potatoes", yet there's no potatoes as you can see in the picture. When we questioned our waitress, she said it was a puree-- if that's true, it's more like a sauce because you'd need a straw! This dish would be more successful with possibly a rice side than the noted potato. The baby bok choy was also not cleaned well, as a bite towards the root end tasted and crunched like dirt. Service was friendly and it was nice to see the manager also walking around checking in on tables. We skipped dessert here and headed down the street for ice cream!

Service continues to be great. Love the ambiance with the cell of a historic dining experience. We chose the fennel sausage with Calabrian peppers as an appetizer. Super delicious. My entree was a bit disappointing as a dinner option. Steak frites could have been prepared so it didn't feel like a lunch option. We love the Charles and it is our go to place for a nice dinner out.

We stopped to the Charles on a whim and got very lucky to grab two seats at the bar despite not having a reservation. Everyone was friendly, especially the hostess who was super accommodating. The restaurant was clean and I loved the bar setup which felt very art deco. The food was delicious. We ordered the homemade ricotta and scotch egg to start. Both were fantastic, although I would definitely recommend the homemade ricotta which was creamy and a little sweet. I had the steak frites as an entree. The steak was cooked perfectly but the star was the aji verde sauce - wish I could've bottled that up to take home! Highly recommend for anyone stopping by Wethersfield.

This place is fantastic!! Came to Hartford for a museum and tucked into the Charles for some food. First off it was Saturday afternoon and the place was packed. Obviously a cool location hang out. I had the dinner pork chop (huge) and Peter had the steak ( more modest sized but perfectly cooked and seasoned. We will be back!!

Cute restaurant in older house. Food was really good and staff was nice and didn't rush us at all even as we closed down the restaurant.

This is one of my favorite place since December 2022. Shortly after getting married I discovered this spot and we've been visiting ever since . For this visit my mom was visiting from the islands and I wanted her to experience something different: the food was great. I rated it a 4/5 because my husband pork chops were a bit undercooked. However, our waitress had it redone for us. The service was immaculate. I will definitely keep coming here.

This place is good enough to cause a parking dispute with neighborhood residents. Litterally. For those of you who are not familiar with Old Wethersfield, it is a beloved historic district within the town of Wethersfield with a Main Street that is trying to come to life and is busier than I have ever seen. The Charles is one of the "New American" restaurants that has recently opened in Old Wethersfield and well, it's pretty damn good all around. This amazing restaurant has almost singlehandedly brought a wave of people from out of town which caused a parking issue in Old Wethersfield and this town is far from a solution. So what makes The Charles so good? Well their menu brings refreshing new flavors to Old Wethersfield and the restaurant itself is consistently improving over time. Each visit I have at The Charles food wise has been quite the experience from their Butter Poached Cod to their Pear and Endive Salad. The constant introduction to new special menu items and their spin on traditional American meals I have had in the past have brought nothing but excited to each visit. If an adventurous meal is not what you are looking for, you can at least appreciate the quality if ingredients and the meal itself. For anything I have had from here where I felt "hmmm this is isn't my thing" I still knew it was good and made with thought as the person across from me is in love with whatever it is. From the apps to dessert, everything I have had has been quality and delicious. Not only does this restaurant provide a quality ambiance within the interior, I have watched their outdoor seating evolve over the years and it seems like everything is being done right. They went from seating and bonfires on the lawn to adapt with the COVID restrictions to temporary seating in their parking lot under a tent. Now they have a well maintained artificial turf patio style seating where their side lawn used to be and in the summer time it was always so lively and nice to see all the happy people. How can you be mad at seeing a crowd of happy people? This town needs to figure out how to protect this place as the parking issue has created a cult of individual residents that despise this establishment. Sorry for getting off topic but I only speak of this crowd/parking issue as I find it hilarious that this restaurant was able to change a town forever. Yes there are plenty of new parking regulations and crosswalks in place because of the incline of traffic in this area. Whether you believe it be for good and bad, quiet Old Wethersfield or New Old Wethersfield, The Charles will still be serving quality meals with quality service in a quality establishment. Thank you Mr. The Charles. Thank you.

I had such a great experience at this gem in Wethersfield. I came in for Happy Hour and discovered a CT based Bourbon that was in their very tasty Nightrider drink which is basically an Espresso Martini with Bourbon instead of Vodka. I loved everything about it. The food options were great and satisfying as well. Will definitely be back for an actual entree

First time ordered the 1790 antipasti looks amazing daughter didn't like for me wasn't bad order steak daughter had steak salad both were very good had two of there desserts both came out frozen very hard to eat had to wait to soften but we're good Waiter was great we were there for 3.5 hours just talking highly recommend would like to know history of the place