Water Street Cafe

There’s something unmistakably comforting about the approach to Water Street Café. Tucked into the heart of Stonington, this cozy spot radiates old-school charm before you even step inside. Once through the door, you’re welcomed not just by a gracious host, but by the subtle hum of a place that knows its rhythm. The layout feels effortless—bar to the right, tables and booths to the left—perfectly intimate without trying too hard. The meal begins humbly with a bread basket—simple, warm, soft butter on the side. It’s not showy, but it does its job exceptionally well. Think understated rather than underwhelming. Starters here cover the spectrum. The shrimp cocktail stood out for its zippy horseradish-forward cocktail sauce—classic, but not dull. The Caesar salad arrived crisp, with a satisfying crunch from the croutons, while the beet and peach salad brought in a subtle sweetness that played nicely with the earthiness of the greens. The crispy tofu salad was a surprise hit—light, fresh, and punched up with a wasabi-soy vinaigrette that didn’t shy away from flavor. Among the mains, the shrimp and scallops fra diavolo was a clear highlight. The seafood was tender, the pasta perfectly cooked, and the chili oil gave the tomato sauce a welcome, slow-building heat. For something more casual, the café burger on brioche was hearty and satisfying, especially with the addition of cheese and bacon. The London broil was classic comfort—tender beef, garlic butter, and crisp fries. If you’re leaning toward poultry, the chicken sandwich delivered crunch and tang, thanks to Creole mustard and a crusty roll. Dessert brought it home. Two ice cream sundaes—one a straightforward vanilla-chocolate combo, the other a raspberry-drenched dream with a wafer base—both executed with care. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that leave the best impression. If you go, ask for Andy. His easygoing service tied the whole experience together. Water Street Café has roots that stretch back to 1994, founded by Walter and Stephanie Houlihan after years in the high-paced world of New York hospitality. Walter, a CIA-trained chef, brought a unique blend of French, Asian, and American influences to this coastal hideaway. Stephanie ensured that the front-of-house runs with genuine warmth, anchoring the café firmly in the heart of the community. Decades on, it’s clear why this spot remains a local favorite. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel—it’s just making sure it rolls smoothly and tastes great along the way.

Food was OK, steak tasted fishy??? RI oysters were awesome, cocktail was good,would of liked a few but our waiter was there but not engaging, place is very nice inside and it was very busy, will try again

For a Tuesday night the place was packed and they didn't have enough waitstaff to meet the demand, we sat for almost 30 minutes before someone took our drink order and over an hour before someone came to take our food order. The food was delicious I got the duck and scallops; the duck was so tender I could easily cut it with a butter knife. They were knowledgeable about the menu and used a soy alternative on my dish because of my Celiac Disease. My girlfriend got the halibut and while I didn't try it because I wasn't sure of it's contents, it cut through like butter. My girlfriends cocktail was VERY strong. Mine was delicious.

Fantastic experience here. Stopped in for the first time for a family member's birthday and had a great dinner. I had an espresso martini (which was super yummy and so smooth) and then the roasted chicken skillet entree which was nicely cooked and very flavorful. Had some delicious bites of cheesecake to share for dessert. The atmosphere was very cozy and the service was extremely friendly. Can't wait to come back soon!

randomly stopped in here on a road trip. on a cool street in a cute town. the town was a little sleepy around 8pm, but this place was not! what a cool spot, great vibes, friendly people and staff! i could feel old ship captains stumbling in here after a few weeks or days at sea, food was pretty good as well but not fantastic. More of a stop for vibes and libations i think, but would definitely recommend and will come here again

Came here for dinner while on a quick trip to the ocean. Food was phenomenal! Best salmon I've ever had. Drinks were also great, I got the... twist on an old fashioned? I don't remember what it was called. Excellent though. I will advise that they seem incredibly popular so call in advance to put your name on the list for a table. But I would highly recommend this spot to anyone, great food, drinks and service! If I'm ever back in the area, I will go again!

Wow. What a great restaurant. Fabulous food, wonderful service, lovely atmosphere, and live music to boot; a guitar player who set the mood perfectly. Four of us had great meals, including two of us who are Vegans, and the vegan entrée was absolutely delicious. We will definitely eat here again when we are in town. Highly recommended.

Friends and I went on New Years Eve. We didn’t know there was a fixed Menu because it wasn’t on line that night. We later heard from the owner that we could have opted out but the waitress never told us. The food was cold and the vegetables were raw. When I informed our waitress, she took my food for ten minutes and then returned it at the same temperature, never checking on us to see how our food was. I called the owner with my concerns and still have not heard back. It was a very disappointing evening and definitely not worth the money. What made the evening was my lovely friends and family.

We are on a sister's trip and walked over to Water Street Cafe and was greeted with an instant smile by the host. Leslie was our amazing server and took great care of us! The drinks were a 10/10 and the food was just as good! It was the best experience with perfect service. Definitely the best decision for our first night.

We visited on a Thursday evening. We had a nice table by the window, and was nice and toasty compared to outside! Started with warm bread basket and butter. Ordered a dew drinks, one being a white cosmo. The chowder was great, really has a big bacon taste to it which isn't my fave but again it was good! We opted for basic and had chicken sandwiches on brioche rolls, very good with fries. We had a dessert that was very plentiful and good as well. Nice ambiance, service and food.

Went here a year ago when I lived in Stonington for work. The apps and meal were very good. Drinks were just ok. Our server was excellent. Incredibly friendly. The owner was so sweet. We spoke with her for 20 min before leaving. Would like to return.

The best food ever Intimate & Great ambiance Thoughtful servers and even a jazz guitar musician to add to an uplifting experience. Get the tuna & the bay scallops, you won't be disappointed!!

great time at the bar! Kelly was amazing! Drinks on point! Manhattan filled to the brim and best ever! Had Korean shrimp app and halibut for entree(Kelly's suggestion)) , so delicious, really enjoyed! will definitely be back! thanks kelly for a fun night!! barb and jim.

My husband and I had a wonderful evening at WSC . I love the New England old world ambience. We sat in the bar and enjoyed delicious dinners . The beet and blackberry salad and clam chowder were our starters. Both were exceptional. Our entrees were the blackened salmon with panzanella salad and the yellow tuna with jasmine rice . Once again the chef did an amazing plate . They were both beautiful to look at and enjoy . We topped it off with the Basque style cheesecake. Our cocktails and wine were both very good as well. Kudos to the bartender. Service was seamless and all the servers were kind and professional. We will definitely be back .

A charming small venue with local relics making a relaxing atmosphere. The food was fresh, local and artfully prepared a real feast for the eyes and pallet. The staff was friendly, attentive and engaging making our night extra special.

Pretty good! We came here for dinner after having dog watch cafe for lunch. Dog watch had better food, but it was pretty close. Water street cafe had the better ambiance, more of a date night vibe going on here. My gf got an Asian salmon dish with spinach and white rice that was incredibly flavorful. My fluke wasn't as flavorful but was a fresh and clean meal. I would have liked a little more of a "pop" from the dish, fish in a barely present lemon sauce over mashed potatoes, green beans and a cream sauce just didn't quite blow me away. We were stuffed and ate here after a busy day, but I would recommend this place as a good date spot.

Coconut Walnut Wafer Cake. There, I said it. We often dream of starting a meal with dessert and most of the time we don't. Ok. I didn't do it either, but I am starting this review off with it because if you are ever going to do it, this is the one you should do it for. Like really- did you ever dream there would be such a delicious treat called Coconut lanut Wafer Cake? Ok. Me neither, but now I do and so should you. 5 stars all the way. Water Street Cafe has a beautiful mahogany bar in the center of the seaside village of Stonington Borough. We had gone to check out the new Lobster Trap Tree (make sure to do that too) and heard this was an excellent place to eat. The village truly looked like a Christmas movie set by the sea. So damn cute. There should be a Hallmark movie filmed here. Really. We tried a few delicious menu choices and had a couple of really excellent libations. Drinkwise- the Painkillers and Sour Whales- if they are on the menu- try them! My favorite was the Sour Whale. We had some shrimp cocktail and the Roasted Grape Crostini with whipped gorgonzola spread as an app. It was so good. That is a newer app item and a real knockout. Our server was so helpful and amazing and guided us through the entire menu. We both ordered the London Broil and it was amazing as well. Cooked to perfection with garlic butter and Water Street Fries. The fries were great too! We had a really cool chat with the owner and it really was just one of those magical dining experiences that you wake up the next day and say, "Wow, when is the next time we are going back?" Pro tip: Make a day of it and check out some of the other cool spots in Stonington. Milagros is across the street if you are looking for a great margarita after!

Stephanie one of the owners is so charming and creates such a friendly atmosphere here. You can feel the buzz when you come in. My Stonington fluke was a stomach shot back my days living in this delightful village. And friends loved their tuna. Yummy. Keep it going guys. You do a great job.

Cozy ambiance, friendly staff and always amazing food! My favorite place for special occasions.

Went there last night. No other diners in restaurant. Was totally ignored by waitress. Left after 15 min of being ignored like we didn't exist.

Went with my extended family for a Friday night dinner, pretty loud in there but still very enjoyable. Great wine selection - menu has a lot of fish and chicken options, a little bit pricey. I got the seafood pasta, definitely more of a pasta dish than a seafood dish, which I liked a lot. The roasted tomatoes in it were very good, and the sauce was very light and creamy. Also, to start, I got the tuna tartare. I thought it was very average compared to other ones I've had before. The sauce at the bottom was too light, leaving some of the tunas plain and tasteless. Overall a great experience though, I looked around the table after the meal and everyone's plates were completely empty!

Stonington was my first stop on a trip back east to there & then Charleston, a real food town. The meal I had at Water Street was THE BEST of the entire trip, and that's saying a lot. Scallops over black rice & polenta was just...I can't stop thinking about it. Great skinny fresh margaritas. Wonderful service. I want to go back but live too far away.

I'm so glad my husband and I found this place. We were on a day trip in Westerly, RI when we decided to have dinner at this local spot. The customer service was fantastic from the moment we walked in. We were seated at an high top table and serviced by Andy the entire time. The food was delicious -from presentation to flavor. There was nothing to take home. We highly recommend Water Street Cafe. You will not be disappointed. Thanks again Andy for providing top notch service.

Family owned spot with great food and drinks. Romantic/candle lit ambience. Good for a date night or a family night dinner. Top-notch service.

The food was the worst I've seen anywhere in a while. It seemed cooked ahead and reheated, maybe from the day before. The Stonington fluke was soggy, the potatoes were barely warm. The salmon was over-cooked and dry. No waitress in sight after placing our order. So disappointed.

This was my first time here but my best friends third time, and I have to say... the best meal of the year! Thank you to the bartender, the smokeshow was a great drink and the fluke was delicious!

Decent New England menu, not great service, probably understaffed but not as expected for a Weds night and restaurant half empty.

The food was delicious. Due to our late reservations, they were running out of some items. Would recommend making reservations for earlier in the evening if you can get them.

My wife and I were in town for a couple of nights and the Inn that we were staying at highly recommended this restaurant for dinner. We visited on a Monday evening and we were lucky to score a table when we did because the place was suddenly at capacity. The restaurant was located in the old downtown area of Stonington. The restaurant was quite charming, cozy, and romantic. There was a nice bar area to enjoy a drink if you didn't plan on eating. My wife and I began with the local seasonal green salad with the balsamic mustard vinaigrette. Fantastic. Very generous portion that consisted of various greens and vegetables. We both ordered the grilled swordfish as our entrée which was served over angel hair pasta with peppers in a light broth. The entire dish was very tasty. The feta cheese on top of the swordfish added such a great flavor to the whole dish. I'm going to try that at home. A very generous portion again. We didn't have room for dessert but enjoyed a nice coffee at the end. As coffee snobs, we would say the coffee was very good. The service was excellent and friendly. The waitress knew the menu well and answered our questions. The prices were a bit on the high side but more than acceptable for the overall dining experience. It's worth the trip!

Our go to for a special date night! The food is always amazing and the staff is friendly and fantastic!

For all the fellas out there, you might want to order 3 appetizers or even two entrees if you want to get "full." After driving two hours, visiting the aquarium and walking around Mystic with the family, I was HUNGRY as hell and looking forward to the meal. Red flag came when our waitress came back with the tiniest sample of beer I ever had in my life. Gulp. It's a sample of beer, not a "shot,"guys. C'mon man. By that time I had already ordered so I was definitely concerned. Since I think I'm slick, I ordered a side of fries, just in case. The waitress comes back later and the fries are now in the smallest basket I've ever seen. Devoured in about 2 minutes - Are you kidding me? WTF. Who actually gets disappointed with a side order of fries? Well it happened to me here. Next came my entree of six very lonely looking scallops and brussel sprout potato hash. I was literally done with dinner in 3 minutes. Luckily, the clam appetizer we ordered contained a ton of sauce so I filled up by eating our two orders of bread with it. PHEW. I didn't have a problem with the service like some of the reviews here. The waitress could have been more forthcoming as she described the scallops as "sizable" but whatever. I later found out that this restaurant is "farm to table" but seriously who cares? The fries AND brussel sprout hash combo I was given should have been double or triple the amount regardless if their little organic potato and brussel sprouts came straight from the dirt in their backyard. Anyway, good food, good service but PLEASE pony up on the portions!!

Have to knock this place down. Such a difference from two years ago. Can you imagine waiting a half an hour for your drink and dinner order? And dealing with a confusing menu (fusion asian and something)? Complained to hostess about an hour and a half into the order about our long wait time, our waitress not being responsive, etc, and not once did the manager or waitress come by and at least say sorry. Also, nothing was comped, adding insult to injury. The food was ok. It would have been 100x better if we actually had good service! Avoid the place. Hoping it's a one off

Despite the food being excellent, we were appalled at the hostess. Me and my three friends, two of us being 21 and one 24, when we asked to be seated were immediately IDed. This was weird because we were not here for the bar or to order drinks. The hostess took our IDs, and disappeared with them for 5 minutes, then came back and told us that we would not be served alcohol that night and would have to wait a while for a table. This felt very unprofessional and judgmental since we are all of age and had legal IDs that were clearly ours. We respect a restaurants right to refuse drinks to whoever, but after watching her seat many walk ins in front of us, it was hard not to see her bias. With food as delicious as this, it's upsetting that the hostess ruined our night by acting so unprofessional.

It doesn't get any better than water street cafe! Always delicious, period. I'm so grateful to have such a delicious restaurant in my home town. I would take a dinner at water street over any top restaurant in Boston or other cities I've lived in.

What a find! Staying in Stonington during a very cold weekend, looking to find a place for dinner. Had a lovely, but cold walk to this restaurant. We are still being super careful (socially distancing, etc) and the sweet hostess helped us find a table where we would feel comfortable. Everyone there is very accommodating and friendly. Our dinners were delicious, burger and fries, and salmon with mashed potatoes and spinach. It was such a relaxing and cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend. Thank you Water Street Cafe for making us comfortable!

It's not easy to find a brunch spot in Stonington especially if your used to NYC, but if you're craving some staples with a local flair, Water Street Cafe is a great place to hit. Don't try swaggering in at 1pm for brunch b/c you'll miss the scene of your typical peach short wearing and popped collar crew that slide up from CT or down from Boston for the weekend. Oh that and it'll be empty (though brunch is served until 2:30 on Sundays only). You'll find some basic egg dishes that are fresh and have great flavor. Quick tip: substitute the home fries for French fries- they are excellent! I lucked out for a unique special 'banana bread French toast' which was just perfect and had a hint of cinnamon which brought out the banana's foster taste. Very much a breakfast treat. I only drink coffee with skim and they get a thumbs up for having it as a option. Overall we were very pleased and when in Stonington, will make this a regular Sunday morning stop.

Absolutely the most unorganized cafe I ever went to. My wife and I who are locals decided to give them another chance to redeem themselves from the last time we went. When we got there they quoted us a 35-40 min wait.... which since it was a nice night we decided give it a shot. After an hour we asked the hostess how much longer and she said I don't know it's really hard to seat couples and it is way easier to seat parties of 3+.... Absolutely ridiculous.... just to let you know it's been about 3 hours and we still haven't got a call.... I will never step foot in that place again....pathetic

Can't go wrong! Drinks excellent! Salads Excellent! Oysters crisp and delicious. Hanger steak cooked to perfection. Lamb was served with potatoes and Garlicky green beans. Filet Mignone with Julian sweet potatoes. Also had fresh made mozzarella with tomatoes. Good wine selection. Not cheap but certainly worth the money. Great meal (4 of us all loved it)

My absolute favorite restaurant in town. Freshest food with the most interesting gourmet menu. A must try! Beautiful little spot in the boro

My wife and I stopped for lunch last weekend and we were very disappointed. I had the squash soup which tasted no better than chicken broth thickened with some orange coloring. My wife's Taco salad was awful. The shell was stale and had an old smell to it. The ingredients were minimal at best. It was advertised as having Chile but had only an occasional kidney bean. We will not be back.

I'd say it was good Not great..service was friendly but seemed frazzled as it was busy early on a Monday evening. Drinks took awhile ..we were understanding and patient as it was Halloween My Dad had Swordfish special..loved it and said it was fresh I had a Prosscuito/tomato focaccia grilled sandwich It was decent..similar to Paneras style sandwiches. My dads Drinks were small in size and over filled with ice Our Bill was $78.00 For 2 drinks ,sandwich,sword fish,1 wine Not a bad take Try it out if you are in area and it's not a crazy busy evening in the Burrough.

My husband and I went to Water Street cafe, one of our favorite restaurants last night. It was the first time we have dined inside a restaurant since the pandemic started. As always the food and service was impeccable. We ordered the duck and scallops which was perfectly done. We felt completely safe with the measures they put in place for social distancing. Happy to support a local, small business and planning to go back soon.

Food is fantastic. Parking is horrible, but still a must place to go on a date or with friends. More adult atmosphere. Great bar and friendly service. Drinks good too!

I don't have much to say except I agree with Jamie's review,this place is outdated and the menu is blah. Not many choices and the ones they have are just odd and unappealing or basic. You basically choose between escargot pot pie and a steak and cheese sub. Food is bland, service is just ok. I won't be back.

This place is an outdated cumbersome disaster. I have to assume that the massive amount of 4 and 5 star reviews here are from people who either don't know food whatsoever, or are regulars who spend a lot of time drinking here. I was wary from the first time we saw the place (we had skipped it for brunch one Sunday after looking at their menu, and instead headed to the much more impressive Noah's down the street) , but after several recommendations, and an insistent friend, we visited. Menu is heavy and clumsy. Ordered the duck and scallops. Was described as pan seared duck breast and pan seared sea scallops with mashed potatoes. The scallops were not seared, they were boiled in the sauce, and they were soggy, chewy and bland. The duck was cooked medium, but was rubbery and the skin was chewy, the fat was not rendered. The worst part of it all was that the whole thing was covered with a vaguely Asian themed, anemic sauce with snap peas, carrots, and crispy fried wanton strips. Asian themed duck and scallops with mashed potatoes?? It's like a bad dream from an 80's Jersey suburb... Seriously...mashed potatoes. With soy sauce. Terrible terrible terrible. If you look at this place and feel like it's outdated and horrible...your instincts are correct. Service was mostly fine but not especially friendly.

Yum. Yum yum yum. We had dinner here last week, and everything was pretty excellent, including: 1. Local oysters--so fresh & delicious. 2. A simple green salad--not over-dressed, not too complicated, just perfect. 3. A shrimp & scallop special that had a strange description. It was described as being over "warm potato salad," but it was actually kind of a saute with eggplant, peppers, zucchini, potatoes and pesto, over greens. I can't really describe how fresh and perfect the scallops were. They almost melted in your mouth. 4. The wine and beer were great, but the cocktails were just okay--my blackberry mojito seemed to have seltzer in it, and the blueberry margarita didn't seem to include fresh blueberries. 5. Oh! And we had great creme brulee! More eggy, less pure cream. Delicious, and perfectly torched. I said perfect in this review a lot, but it really was excellent. I can't wait to go back.

Menu changes a little bit daily which i really appreciate. Everything on the menu seemed to be held to a high standard, which for me, is a definite when i go out to eat. Food was amazing, really amazing. Wine was delicious, service was fast (we did get there later though, maybe around 9pm) and our waiter was attentive but not overbearing at all. The restaurant has a relaxed romantic feel, it has a subdued nautical theme but nothing kitschy and overbearing. Its comfortable, good for groups, couples and even families. I got the seared yellowfin and my date got the duck and scallops. We split a few oysters for an appetizer. We were so full by the end of our meal! happy faces Another thing; when we sat down our waiter told us they were out of 4 different things on the daily menu. Some people might get annoyed about this--but HELLO! Not everything is in an unlimited supply people! What this means is that they ran out of the freshest ingredients and didnt want to serve anything less! Would return and recommend has more seafood on menu then other places in mystic proper.

Looks can be deceiving. The Water St. Cafe seems like little more than a salty old bar when you first arrive, but its patrons eat and drink like the restaurant's starchier, land-locked counterparts. Look past the boat-like interior (decorated with everything from retired buoys to Austin Powers action figures) to the bar area; one well-stocked standard bar with an excellent collection of proprietary cocktails, and one honest-to-goodness raw bar where the bartender/shuckmaster/all-around-nice-guy will be happy to give you his recommendations from the generous list of fresh oysters and clams. The menu is outstanding, taking full advantage of the area's fresh seafood and branching out to offer a wide selection of dishes featuring duck, escargot, and even a variety of vegetarian-friendly options. The seared scallops taste like candy. The mussels melt in your mouth. The crispy tofu is cooked to perfection. Most dishes are served with an assortment of crisp vegetables that give the food an almost Asian-inspired flavor. They do not take reservations for small groups, and the staff does seem to be a bit scatterbrained when things get busy. (Our check was missing a number of pre-meal goodies that we had ordered from the bars.) Prices are extremely reasonable, given how delicious the food is. It's a ten-minute drive from Mystic, but given the excellent experience we had, it's a welcome distraction from the unruly crowds and premium pricing that comes with some of the more obvious dining options in the area.

This place came highly recommended and I was excited about the menu! We were pleasantly surprised by the Sunday afternoon live jazz, which was awesome and set a nice tone. We ordered the escargot potpie and it was super disappointing- not salted at all! ...A shame really, because it looked promising. I ordered a beet salad, which should be renamed as the Chevre and arugula salad. The beets were a garnish, at best. This was a minor problem in comparison to the amount of oil on this smallish salad. It felt oily in my mouth and the flavor of the greens, beets and cheese were overwhelmed by the amount of oil. The server graciously brought another salad- kale salad by her suggestion. The kale greens and other things were heavily dressed and then set on top a bed of, I think and intended drizzle but was a pool of olive oil. I removed the salad onto another plate to enjoy what I could. I had the Flank steak special for dinner, which was cooked to perfection! The sauce was the appeal- red wine blue cheese sauce. Unfortunately, there was not much blue cheese flavor but I am not sure what the intention was here. Overall, happy with my entree, but I will not revisit for anything on the menu... perhaps, for a Sunday afternoon iced tea and some jazz, instead.

There are so many places around that are just the standard so-so. We ate here last night and have been talking about it all day long today. The food was so incredible that words would never do it justice. If you are going down to the Borough , WSC blows away anything else around!

We always have a great time at the Water St Cafe.... food is arguably the best in the boro. Menu is very reasonably priced for the quality of food they serve.... The london broil is the best deal in town.... I wish they would turn the lights up a little bit but overall, its a 5/5.... I defintely recommend this place if you are in the area.

On our way back from Boston we decided to stop in and have diner. What a Great find. The food was Fabulous and the waitress was delightful.I had there signature dish Duck with Scallops and it was divine.

Best place in Stonington by far! Corner table was comfy cozy. Our server was Angela C., she was very friendly and efficient. Escargot pot pie, oysters, shrimp and salmon was amazing. They even were able to serve me my favorite dessert of Creme Brule even though it wasn't on the menu! Will definitely go back!

Best shoe string fries anywhere! The rest of the menu's pretty good too. Recommendation: a side of shoe string fries and a bottle of malt vinegar.

I liked this place. Interesting and inventive menu for what is essentially a rustic, seaside pub. My Anitipasto was a collection of oddly chosen bits on a plate, but my entree of Pan Baked Cod was rather great. A crumb crusted Cod loin served over finely cooked Linguini pasta, mixed with Olive Oil, blanched greens from a Stinging Nettle, and sliced radishes. Loved the dish, will be back.

Delicious. The wait can be a little brutal, but it's worth it. Crab spring rolls were delicious. The sesame salmon with seaweed salad was amazing. pro-tip: ask if they have any tuna left. The raw tuna entree is amazing.

Had a new special last night and it was outstanding! Oyster stew, a cream and sherry based herbed concoction stewed up in the double boiler to perfection. Not a regular item but ask if they have it WOW!!!!