374 Kitchen + Cocktails — Restaurant in East Lyme

All in all, this place does a great job. My husband and I came down to Niantic for our anniversary. We stayed at the Niantic Inn for the weekend and ended up going to 374 half out of convenience, half because we really enjoyed it there. The atmosphere was perfect. The bathrooms were immaculate. The entire staff was friendly and attentive: any waits we experienced were understood because of the busy nature of the place.

We noticed little details that would make a big impact. We are both from the restaurant industry and my husband is a high end chef. We went 3 times during our weekend. We showed up for brunch one day and the crab cake Benedict had wilted and almost rotten micro cilantro on it. A quick look and others might not be able to tell, but it was definitely not crisp looking for a micro green. The salmon toast was good, crab cake benny could have been better. It was barely seasoned and just didn't taste like much. Texture was good, but hollandaise also could have been a bit better. The Poke was great. The size of the tuna chunks were a perfect ratio with the sauce and rice paper. The raw bar was great. Octopus and pork belly dish -- cooked tender and perfectly. The spicy sauce overtook the dish and was unnecessary. The octopus still had the gills on. Something easy people might miss but it's a gross and slimy part that should be removed. Crudo was great. Smoked bluefish dip was great. Calamari was cooked perfectly and had good and not overpowering flavor.

We got loaded bloody Mary's 2 of the times we were there. They were fantastic. The lemons and limes given were going bad on the rind. It's something the bar should be checking. Our celery both times had old looking edges, meaning they were the part that should have been cut off before serving or eating.

The dessert. The first night we got the black and white tart. The tart shell tasted gluten free, which would have been great if we were. It was lacking overall.

The next night, we got the cheesecake (blackberry), and the pannacotta. The pannacotta had great flavor and texture. The cheesecake was out of this world. It had fabulous texture. It wasn't too sweet but also have enough flavor at the same time. It was savory enough to balance the blackberry compote in between layers. It was crust less and the graham cracker crumbs were sprinkled over the top instead. It was a great way to do cheesecake differently.

The manager of the FOH both nights seemed to be a guy named Peter. He looked like James Franco's youngest brother from New England and was super nice and attentive. The second night we were there he recognized us and comped our first drinks. It's always a nice touch to be seen by the FOH. The Franco's should have kept him. Sorry for the novel. I only leave...

374 Kitchen + Cocktails in Niantic had a fun, lively vibe — but unfortunately, the food didn’t quite live up to the atmosphere.

We popped in on a busy night and sat at the bar, which gave us a great view of the action. The space is cute but compact, and the low ceilings — especially in the bar area — make it feel a little tight when the place is packed. That said, the energy was upbeat and the crowd seemed to be having a good time. Bonus points for the hilarious Bridesmaids poster in the bathroom ("I need a toilet!") — definitely earned a laugh.

Earlier in the day, I’d stopped by to check the place out and noticed a pretty strong food odor near the entrance — specifically fish — which was a bit off-putting, even as a pescatarian. Might just be a ventilation thing, but it stood out.

Service was solid — friendly and professional, though understandably a bit stretched with how busy things were.

As for the food... it left us underwhelmed. We were in the mood to snack and keep things light, so we ordered:

Calamari – Fried squid with sweet chili sauce, sriracha aioli, and green onion. This was the best of the bunch. The flavors worked, but the execution was off — the breading didn’t stick well, and the squid was slightly overcooked. It had potential, just felt a little rushed.

Shaved Brussels Salad – This had promise: butter lettuce, shaved Brussels, parmesan, pomegranate seeds, almonds, lemon vinaigrette. Loved the generous toppings — they didn’t hold back on the parm, pom, or almonds. But the salad was drenched in vinaigrette. Like, swimming. It completely overpowered what could’ve been a fresh and tasty dish.

Truffle Fries – Sadly, a miss. Not much flavor (truffle or otherwise), and they came out lukewarm — a personal pet peeve. On the drinks side, they shined a bit brighter. My Old-Fashioned "OTW" was well-balanced and tasty, and the Unshackled Red Blend I had was solid.

All in all, 374 has a cool vibe and a lively crowd — but based on the food experience, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to return. That said, I can see the appeal if you’re just grabbing drinks and want a...

I ate here a year ago and then gave it a second shot last night.

The food was fine my first time, but it was great last night, so that’s a big plus.

The servers were friendly and attentive both times.

The interior is stylish and comfortable. I like the versatility in seating options—the bar seating in back, table seating in front, and the outdoor seating in the summer.

The host staff needs a little training. -My first visit, my friend and I sat in the front dining area, and a group of about 10 patrons were seated right behind us (across multiple tables). They were so loud and obnoxious that everyone in the front of the restaurant was staring at them. I hoped the host would do something to get them to settle down, but nothing was done. I understand that this is not an easy problem to solve, but the noisiness ruined my experience. I couldn’t hear my friend speak 3 feet across the table.

-For my visit last night, I made a reservation for two people, and I asked to be seated at a table with some privacy such as the corner of the restaurant, etc. I was told that they could accommodate my request. When we arrived, we were seated at a table squished in the middle of two other large tables, shoulder-to-shoulder with other guests. We were told that this is the only table that they had available for two people. So, this was disappointing because it was the opposite of what I requested. In addition, the booth seating was up against a wood pillar, which didn’t seem comfortable. Maybe the owners can add a few pillows if they really must