Via Emilia — Restaurant in Groton

We did a Google search for Italian food in the Mystic area and made reservations for three for a dinner on our vacation when we saw some of these reviews. Everything was spectacular - from the decor, to the staff, to the food. We were blown away! I'll go into a little more detail below if you are interested in the specifics of the dishes we tried. Parking can be a bit iffy as this is a downtown location, so be sure to give yourself extra time - and visit the tea & spices shop nearby if you are early! Every course came very quickly, even though they were clearly busy. The portions were on the smaller side... however they turned out to be perfect! Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and was able to make recommendations. We dressed up slightly because we had not visited before, would have to say "business casual" to jeans would be fine here. Absolutely recommend reservations, it is easy to do online (they do request a credit card number to reserve, and give you directions on how to cancel without a fee) and they keep you updated via text. On to the yummy parts!

We were first presented with a champagne toast (they asked about our anniversary when placing the reservation - I would have declined and saved them the pour if I had known - we very much dislike champagne), it was very sweet and appreciated. We were dining with our teenage daughter who is also a big fan of Italian food.

We started with drinks. Upon the recommendation of our server, I tried the "Sicilian Mule" (photo) which is a nice blend of blood orange liqueur and ginger beer; and a virgin one for my daughter. It was REALLY good. So good in fact, now that we are home I am going to try to replicate it! It was bubbly and mildly sweet, not overly boozy. My husband had a Long Island Iced Tea which he surprisingly found too strong and bitter (I had to agree after trying a sip) so he did not finish it. There was plenty of fresh ice water and refills.

For an appetizer, we were brought slices of fresh bread with olive oil and a whipped seasoned ricotta (photo) - all delicious. We ordered the "Polpettine" to share (photo) - three moist and tasty meatballs in a sweet and savory tomato sauce that was so good we wished we did not have to share.

For the main course, my husband tried one of the specials: fresh pasta tossed with peas, yellow squash and cheese (photo) with the highest praises. My daughter had the "Tajarin" (photo) which was a bit different than what we saw on the menu online - but extremely delicious! Her dish was fresh pasta tossed with cheese, prosciutto and spinach - the later of which is her favorite veggie! I tried the "Cappelletti" (photo), freshly made cheese ravioli in a creamy roasted tomato sauce, and I do not have the words to describe how good this was. I would have licked the plate if we were not in public. We did not have room for dessert!

Overall, I give Via Emilia top scores on every account, and we will absolutely visit again on our next trip to the area. It is about a half hour ride from Mohegan Sun, and there are lots of things to do in the Mystic area (like the aquarium) so it is well worth the short trip if you are visiting. If you are local... well then I am jealous, but my bank account will...

Edit: I've been back half a dozen times since they opened. I still feel the same way about my review.

I had the pleasure of dining in during their first few days, before the temporary closure due to COVID-19.

The short is fantastic experience; stellar food, courteous staff and pleasant atmosphere. A must visit when dining in Mystic!

The long...

Myself and two friends sat at the bar towards the second half of the dinner shift. Kelly, our server and bartender, was incredibly attentive, polite and funny!

Pleasant atmosphere, sort of dim interior with a romantic charm. Nice spot for a date. I didn't get to check it out but they did have an upstairs dining area.

I cannot comment on the wine selection, but they had a few choices for beer including Peroni.

For food, to start I had some of the bread, with whipped ricotta, pickled peppers and olive oil. All three toppings were a nice compliment to the bread, which on its own was delicious.

Next I had the meatball appetizer with ricotta and sauce. It was tasty, but nothing profound.

Second appetizer was the calamari, which was captivating. It was my first time having it prepared where it wasn't breaded. It had excellent flavor and texture. It was served with a good amount of sauce, olive oil, olives and capers. I'm definitely getting it next time I visit.

For my main course I had the fluke served with eggplant, radicchio and saba. It was topped with garlic breadcrumbs and came out cooked to perfection! Both of my friends asked to try my dish when they saw how delicious it looked. The consensus from everyone was fantastic! I was mostly impressed with how perfectly the fish was cooked, followed up by the solid flavor brought together by all components. The breadcrumbs added some appreciated, contrasting texture.

The prices for all of the items on our tab were appropriate and it's fairly priced for quality food in Mystic.

I can't wait to visit the restaurant again. A very welcomed addition to dining in...

I am very well aware that 2** is atypical for this restaurant, and we were so excited to experience this place. But honestly, the two stars I gave is me being generous given our experience tonight. And that’s in comparison to the pricing of the restaurant. We had a reservation but when we arrived in time we just stood there for a full 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged we were actually there, same with the couple in front of us. After another ten minutes our table was ready. Appetizer- prosciutto with shaved melon was good. But by then we had been at the place for 45 minutes. Main course: pasta bolognese for the kids, one of them gluten free. The regular was fine, actually very good. The gluten free one was a complete disaster. The sauce looked like a small dog had just thrown up all over the plate. Photo attached. And the taste wasn’t right either. I asked the server who then called the manager over. Both agreed it looked different from the regular bolognese sauce when it should have been the same. And yet, it was billed on our check 100% at $28. Hmm. Frankly, I didn’t ask to take it off or get a free dessert because that’s not who I am. I wait to see what happens. My pasta dish was fine. My wife’s fish was ok, not great. Too dry in places, not worth the money but again- seems like we are the only ones who had that kind of experience. My family was disappointed to a point where they don’t want to go back. I am sure it’s a good restaurant. But for top level pricing my antennas are tuned to first class food and service. And neither expectation was met. Oh, did I mention the bathroom was a mess, and I had to go on a search for...