Esca Wine Bar and Restaurant

Skip the steak and you’ll enjoy your time in this beautiful locale. The cocktails and wine selection are both very good. The bar bites are great too. When an aged sirloin isn’t explained either dry or wet it’s a good indication to skip that on the menu.

We ended up at Esca for Valentines last Saturday since I was late making reservations at our favorite Italian restaurants in Hartford. The restaurant is beautiful with great seating for most guests. Unfortunately, we were sat right near the door and it was negative 10 degrees outside! Even with the poor seating arrangement we were excited for food as the menu looked fantastic. After waiting 20 or so minutes for service my wife ordered a flight of wine and I a beer along with the Antipasto Misto. The Antipasto was very good and the drinks were great too. We were excited to get another round however our server was busy returning food from other tables and we couldn’t stop him to place our dinner order and get another round of drinks. Finally after 30 minutes, the waiter stopped by and took our order. The food came out without drinks within seconds of placing however it was the wrong meal. Obviously, the food was premade. We didn’t send the meal back as we were hungry and were worried that the server would take another 30 minutes to make things right. We ended up getting the check and the server comped us a drink which was nice but too late. Long story short, good food, poor service. I would try this restaurant again on a slow night when the restaurant is appropriately staffed.

Can you say atmosphere? Gorgeous dining room, perfect place for a special occasion or celebration. We sat on the top floor and had a balcony-​sort of view. Beautiful décor, and dim lighting set the mood for a tasty, but expensive meal. If you go, I have to recommend the Caprese to start, and Osso Bucco for dinner! Enough to share and you will not leave hungry.
We just missed happy hour, but heard it’s good!

I spent a few early hours at this restaurant on New Years Eve. I entered about 6:30. The bar lounge was packed with early celebrants. How fun the liveliness. Oh what joy to find the ONE bar stool empty. New Year’s can be a difficult time to acquaint oneself with a restaurant especially when dining solo, but I rather enjoyed my introduction here. A likable, smiling bar staff, all busy, although the restaurant itself was not yet crowded. My barkeep listened to my red wine request and suggested a red, which I truly liked. People, people, people. How often does this happen? One might kiss many so-​so grape juices before finding THE prince of drinks for their meal. I knew I wanted the BONE MARROW dish as I read about it before deciding upon this restaurant. WHO in my area dares to serve bone marrow? [Bone marrow broth trending in NYC small bistros but few know about it in Middletown]. I don’t do ‘rich’ or heavy dinners thus with an appetizer, I ordered mussels in a yummy liquored cream broth and a side plate of sauteed broccoli rabe. Let’s start with the first. The bone marrow presentation was gorgeous. It appeared cooked to perfection, with a slightly crusted sauce atop, however there was NO MARROW in the bones. The marrow had been drawn into whatever it had been cooked in. What was left inside? A drop of what looked like partially cooked albumen with a spot of blood. Oh nooo! The home-​made figgy purée accompanying it was tasty for bread but it was meant to coat a portion of non-​existent marrow. At $ 14…ouch. Onto the mussels. Yummy although served tepid. As this is New Years, perhaps freshly cooked dishes were waiting to be taken from the kitchen. I don’t know. Still the mussels were fresh and savory. A good-​sized portion of broccoli rabe was last. It too was served of uneven temperature. I sent it back. It returned hot & cold. I left the dish almost untouched. I mentioned this to the barkeep and she apologized. This is New Year’s I would not expect her to make an accommodation. But ITS ALL GOOD. I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of the diners around me. Paul and Michelle from across the bridge were lovely and dine there often. She’s a nurse and he’s a car salesperson. You see, I REALLY DO LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE SHARE WITH ME. LOL. All in all, the mood was festive and respectful. I looked around and saw diners dressed for a special evening, reminiscent of another time for me. And then the band played on. Yes, a band of several pieces to help revelers bring in 2016. I left hours before that as I’m not the REVELING type. Would I return? Absolutely. One can’t expect to use New Year’s Eve as the benchmark for a restaurant’s best foot forward as people are hectic, inclusive of the kitchen. I’ve dined in incredibly fine venues on New Years Eve in London and in NY, all with extravagant tabs, and still found unevenness in dishes served. I do sincerely thank ESCA for their hospitality. I recommend a stop by for anyone visiting the area. This is not an inexpensive restaurant, but then again, several Middletown restaurants are surprisingly expensive without the ambiance or efforts to present diners with innovative cuisine.

I really found the bar staff to be absolutely fantastic. Despite a packed bar for happy hour, they were always very cognizant of who was waiting and made sure to get to each customer pretty quickly. When I asked them to describe a wine for me that I was unfamiliar with, they offered a taste, as well as a couple other for comparison, to help me make my decision.
Not only do they have a wonderful wine selection, but their martini list is pretty bangin as well. I’ve mostly only had appetizers and salads here, but have felt all of their food to be of quality so far. I would definitely recommend the octopus salad. One thing to note is that the happy hour Bar Bites really are just that. The drink specials are a great deal, but food I would order off the regular menu, unless you really are only interested in tasting something.

You have to decide when you’re going to go to Esca… happy hour, or any other time. The price differential between these two options can be quite significant. That’s not to say the food is not worth the price tag. But there are other restaurants we prefer to frequent in Middletown, that are a little less expensive and more consistent with the food.
I most frequently go to Esca for happy hour, so that’s what I’m reviewing it for. Their happy hour drink menu is extensive. Many martinis available for $ 7, house wines and specialty drinks for $ 5 and $ 2 draft beer. We usually do martinis as that’s a good value. Up and down Main St. a martini will typically run you at least $ 10. And Esca’s martinis are really, really good.
They have some «bar bites» during happy hour. I’ve had mixed results with these. Portions are generally quite small. Quality of food varies and sometimes you find yourself saying, «this is not even worth $ 4» and that’s when you get pissed. Last time we went in, we actually ordered off of the small plates menu that is on the regular dinner menu. I was a huge fan of both the olive bowl and the herb infused goat cheese on grilled crostini. At $ 6 and $ 5, respectively, these were a far better value than the two tiny coconut shrimp we got for $ 4 off of the bar bites menu.
Happy hour runs 4:30 — 6:30, which is probably the best hours of any happy hour in Middletown. On Thursdays, happy hour goes until 10 pm! And on Mondays, they have ½ price bottles of wine.

I really want to like Esca, and I give them major points for service, décor/​ambiance, and cocktails, but the last time I went I found the food to be, for lack of a better term, lazy.
I wanted oysters for my birthday (because who doesn’t want oysters for their birthday?) and after doing some research I discovered that Esca not only had oysters, but a massive seafood platter with lobster, clams, mussels, and jumbo shrimp. Score! Happy birthday to me! Right?
Well, eh… Ok. So I’m a big seafood fan and have had most dishes on this platter on their own at one restaurant or another. And I guess for a $ 50 – 60 plate I was expecting a plate of oysters and clams on the half shell, another plate with the jumbo shrimp cocktail, a small steaming bowl of mussels, and then ze lobster. Instead it was all delivered on one heaping bed of ice. This choice of presentation wasn’t bad for the majority of the dish, but the mussels… they were previously steamed, so they tasted like cold, rubbery blobs with the consistency of a hardened escargot. It was just weird. The oysters/​clams were not as fresh as I would’ve liked either, and I was expecting the lobster to be hot, not chilled.
For the price I paid, I expected a little more finesse. It’s like the chef didn’t care, or didn’t know how to properly serve steamed mussels. Esca could greatly benefit from adding some pizazz to their meal prep and presentation (at least for this dish, at this price); the energy would greatly complement the classy, fine dining vibe they’re going for. Maybe I’ll give it one more shot one of these days — try a special, or a non-​seafood dish — and see if my experience can’t be bumped up to at least 4 stars. Let’s hope!

I have only been here once but would love to go again. I showed up for martini happy hour. The martinis are delicious and we had a nice bartender who was also helpful. The appetizers we got were yummy too. I enjoyed the atmosphere and it was pretty quiet when we went.

OK.
For a restaurant that charges what Esca does I expect a lot more. A menu that has remained the same for years with somewhat boring dishes containing somewhat high end ingredients.
While I have enjoyed eating there (I have friends that like the place, only reason I have been twice) it seems that the food is an example of trying too hard and sometimes lacks in execution. Foie gras that was over cooked on one night and under cooked another as an example.
For being a wine bar the selection in that area is also lacking although inexpensive flights of lower end brands were appreciated. The drink menu also is quite over priced and again is a good example of trying too hard but failing in execution. Additionally, tiny pours of whiskey, not appreciated at the exorbitant price.
The service has been expedient both times and the servers have been friendly and helpful.
Overall, decent at best.

I love Esca, not only did I work here for 3 years but I also return quite frequently. Thursday happy hour goes till 10pm so it’s a great deal. There menu has a variety of different foods (everything is house made) and the staff will easily help you pick out a great wine to pair with it. Highly recommend coming here.

Nice restaurant with tasty food. I had a surprised birthday for my fiancé in the private area upstairs and it was a blast! The waiters and waitresses were good and the restaurant manager who helped me coordinate the party was great to work with. The calamari is amazing! My latest obsession is their crab and roasted peppers bisque! Absolutely delicious. The loosen Riesling was great as well.
I went there yesterday for a friend’s birthday dinner. My friend had the steak special with the very yummy crab mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were very tasty.
I had the lobster fettuccine in a butter sauce and brandy cream on the side. My dish was tasty but there were chunks of lobster shell in my meal. That ruined my dinner. Also the brandy cream sauce was salty. I don’t care for the Tiramisu. And the waiter seemed a bit odd, I couldn’t trust any of his recommendations, but he seems like a good guy.

We were going to PaintNite there so figured we’d have dinner beforehand.
Sangria was good. Not great, but high end of good. Three of us had white sangria, all three a different shade of white and total different flavor– AND different sized glasses!
We shared the antipasto plate. FYI– it’s HUGE! Four of us picked at it for 45 minutes and didn’t finish it.
We each had a different kind of salad, 2 arugula salads, a caprese salad, and I had the poached pear salad. There was a small pear on one corner, a few dried figs on another corner. The dressing was good. Honestly, with two drinks an app and salad I paid over $ 40 and it just seemed too much. They have a $ 5 menu, but those portions are SUPER small…

I’ve been going to Esca on and off for many years. The drinks in this place are to die for but the food is always lacking. I think the best way to enjoy Esca is to have 2 drinks before eating anything lol. The prices are a little high too, but for what it is I guess I can understand that (the location looks very expensive). I would reccommend trying some of their wine variety, but the mixed drinks are really where its at. Try their blood orange mixed drink, its pretty different. Also you should start with the prosciutto then maybe just split an entrée with someone.
As far as the service goes, the place is hit or miss. Some of the waitresses we’ve had were extremely attentive, while other where rude or neglectful. If you go during a busy time you can expect to wait for quite a while. But a lunch time is great. If you are interested in trying this place i would tell you to go during the week for lunch to try it and see if that’s what you are into.

Today I had a wonderful business lunch meeting at Esca. Located on Main Street in Middletown, this gorgeous restaurant is the perfect spot for a quiet lunch, great service, and delicious food.
My business partner and I arrived around 11:30 for an early lunch, and we were the only folks in the restaurant until around 12:30. I highly recommend the low key atmosphere if you actually need to get a lot accomplished without feeling rushed or dealing with a bustling lunch crowd.
The bartender gave us our choice of seats in the restaurant, and brought us menus, water, and bread for the table all within the first two minutes of being seated. The bread was marvelously squishy, almost like a donut, and topped with delicious herbs.
We both ordered paninis from the lunch menu, with salad greens instead of pasta salad or fries. My caprese panini was quite good. I enjoyed that the ciabatta bread was pressed and crispy, but that the sandwich was not heated enough to make the fresh mozz melty. (I don’t like when my caprese sandwich tries to be pizza.) I would have liked more tomatoes and balsamic drizzle, but that can certainly be requested next time around. I will say I was a little disappointed that the dressed greens were an up charge of $ 2, as they were literally just a handful of greens tossed in house dressing (though delicious) with no added veggies to make them worthy of an extra $ 2. The no charge options are fries or veggie pasta salad.
Overall, the attentive service, extensive lunch menu with many vegetarian options, and quiet vibe in the beautiful restaurant have made this my new favorite lunch spot!

Came for an event in the upper room, which was very nice with a private bar and a large space for lots of people. The event had small bruschetta options, fried ravioli, and a penne with sausage and a creamy red sauce. Although I don’t know what the names of these options are on the menu, they were fresh and tasty. From the small taste I had, I’d like to come back and try the full menu. They have a warm atmosphere and a large space inside. Definitely a good place for a date.

Came here for happy hour– I took off two stars bc while the drinks specials were great, the food was not. Portions were incredibly small– worth it to order off the main menu instead to get more for your buck (the bar menu raviolis literally came to the table with two TINY raviolis– at least the server could have informed our party of 6 to order more. Those tiny things are not worth $ 4 even though it sounds cheap. I also think they should have another server in the bar area– the two bartenders were doing everything for the whole bar section, on the bar itself or hightop tables. The flatbreads were also just so so. Again, we asked how big the flatbreads vs pizzas were and all of us felt the servers description was inaccurate (smaller and thinner than expected)
But I did like the Martinis– blood orange martinis were great!

Being 2 – 3 blocks away from the only other Middletown bars I attend frequently (Eli Cannon’s and Krust), I am disappointed that I didn’t discover this gem sooner!
A classy and elegant wine bar, but not snooty — a difficult balance to maintain. Service is friendly, helpful, and pleasant, though we came in on a Sunday in the late afternoon which is an odd time.
My friend and I split a wine flight and a few apps — all of which were delicious. The flatbread was my favorite with prosciutto, goat cheese and spinach.
All in all, a pleasant experience. Next stop: dinner!

Highest recommendations for lunch!
Very good quality Italian, with a nice wine selection (It does bill itself as a wine bar…).
Highly recommend the lunch specials and sandwiches. Pasta salad is amazing, it is pesto based and simply perfect, with just the right amount of texture. The octopus salad is always terrific as is the chicken avocado sandwich.
As for dinner options, menu is much the same, but far pricier. The pasta with sausage and rabe is quite good.
Service is always fantastic, and the focaccia bread they serve is also wonderful!

Oh, how I love Esca.
Their wine list is phenomenal, and on Mondays wine bottles are half off. I had a great Valpolicella, which is such a rare find outside of my hometown Verona, in Italy!
Also, I can’t get enough of the Thursday extended happy hour, which goes until 10:30 pm and features some delicious $ 5-​a-​glass red wines. Try the Malbec if it’s among the choices.
Further, the food is really good. This isn’t traditional family-​style Italian food, but rather more on the side of fine dining. The fish and the meat are really good, and the pasta holds its own.
I also love the small appetizers selection — it can be a bit pricey, but it is varied and definitively tasty.
The ambiance is very nice, between casual and classy. The bar is a good place to meet people, but there are also more intimate small tables in the restaurant, and a nice patio outside. The (very numerous!) sirens outside can be annoying, but overall the patio is fun for drinks.
Parking can be an issue, but overall, Esca is a great place!
I highly recommend it for drinks with friends or colleagues, work-​related or romantic dates, and dinners out.

Mad points for the Thursday extended happy hour, which goes until 10pm. This is definitely the place to be on Thursdays! The beverage deals are a steal, and they don’t skimp on options!
Got the chocolate cake dessert ($ 10), which was tasty but a bit steep for the price and size.
Clientele included yuppies, college students, and older folks on dates.