Adriatic Restaurant — Restaurant in Hartford

Breaking it down Reservations: The restaurant both takes reservations and holds the table for the requested time; with most restaurants the reservation gets honored, but not necessarily for the expected time. This experience was the beginning of something memorable.

Service: Our party of four got to experience different members of the staff and EACH brought a unique pleasure to the dining experience. Each person we saw chatted with us and treated us as though they were enjoying the interactions as much as we were, even though they were constantly keeping busy with other customers and their typical duties.

Ownership: Although we did not get the opportunity to meet both owners, we chatted with one of them (the wife), who was lovely, helpful, and engaging. She's a recent transplant from Vancouver, so please warmly welcome her to Hartford as she prepares for the colder weather!

Parking: The only aspect of this dining experience that was "average" was the parking; we parked on the street adjacent to the restaurant as there is no much real estate in the lot if the place is decently populated (which it should ALWAYS be).

Portions: Prepare for desired leftovers. It is biologically impossible to walk out of the restaurant hungry.

Cost: Our party did not consume any beverages other than water (the gentleman who kept filling our glasses was AWESOME; he made us laugh), but we did have two desserts and we averaged around $30-35 per person.

Food Quality: Our selections: Chicken Skender Beg, Chicken Portofino, Veal Parmigiana (minus the cheese), and Chicken Francaise. Each person thoroughly enjoyed the dishes, which were presented with care to both appearance and taste. Two Bomba lava cakes were shared for dessert (the chocolate mousse still has my curiosity, so I'll be returning for that). My only regret was I was not able to sample more choices because my appetite was quite satiated!

Pacing: Seated more quickly than anticipated and menus provided immediately. Food requests were accumulated (our waitress was FANTASTIC at offering suggestions or feedback). Water glasses were turned over and filled. Warm bread was presented to the table. Salads followed and plates were collected before the primary meals were deposited before each person. All meals were accounted for and prepared flawlessly (no one was waiting for his/her meal while others had theirs). Take-home dishes were appropriately presented at the conclusion of the meal for leftovers (we all had them) and dessert was offered shortly thereafter. The presentation of the bill was subtle as well, almost suggestive of "we are sorry we need to charge you because we enjoyed having you dine with us." The experience was definitely not rushed and meant to be enjoyed beyond just dining.

Restaurant Itself: Good spacing between tables using a couple of different rooms to separate larger parties. Bathrooms were clean, placed away from all diners, and can comfortably accommodate more than one person at a time.

Atmosphere: Conducive to entertaining conversation without shouting or leaning in to try to hear. Soft music is broadcast in the background for cultural ambiance and white noise.

Overall: This was a wonderful experience. We felt like we were being entertained as dinner guests with the interactions we shared with each member of the restaurant. The experience was not rushed, full of delectable options, and we all have a strong desire to return for more of the interactions with the people working at the restaurant AND the food!

Action plan: The restaurant opens at 11:30 each day (closed Tuesdays); make your...

Adriatic Restaurant is an Italian and Baltic restaurant whose menu is also halal. I opted for the Baltic dishes since they are much less common. I ordered the cevapi and Adriatic combo special.

If you never had cevapi before, definitely order it! They are delicious, mildly flavored beef sausages. All the Baltic specials comes with a salad which includes onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, a chunk of feta cheese, pickled cabbage, and a roasted red bell pepper sauce. The cevapi special was so good, especially the house made garlic bread that comes with it! The Adriatic special comes with a mix of different meats and also fresh bread but without the garlic. I enjoyed all of the meat except for the smoky sausage. It was too strong and smoky for me. The chicken has a drizzle of some sort of tangy pepper sauce. I wish they gave more of it because that sauce is delicious! Use the roasted red bell pepper sauce that is in the salad as a dip for the meat. Very satisfying meal. One special has enough food...

My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant for an anniversary dinner. This is a hidden gem of Hartford with high-quality, authentic Italian and Baltic food. We knew this was the place to be when we heard some of the other customers speaking Serbian. We started with the spedini and I had a cup of the soup of the day, chicken and vegetable (not pictured). The specials of the day were either rack of lamb with veggies and potatoes or skirt steak, so I chose the lamb. They do not serve alcohol here so I had a peach mango mocktail, but they do serve a variety of sodas. My partner got the hadziski cevapi off the Balkan specials list per recommendation of our waitress and it was a phenomenal choice. The staff was very friendly and the portions of food were generous for the price. We are definitely coming back to try more, I’ve got my eye on the veal Adriatic the...