Siena Norwalk — Restaurant in Norwalk

Siena Ristorante at The Watershed Hotel: A Taste of Tuscany in Norwalk

Where else can you sit in the elegant lobby of a beautifully renovated hotel, listen to the gentle ramble of a stream below, and enjoy exceptional Tuscan fare? Welcome to Siena Ristorante, located inside The Watershed Hotel. The short version? Amazing food. Incredible staff. A winning combination. Siena Ristorante in Norwalk is the sister restaurant to the original Stamford flagship, and now a new location in New Haven. I have yet to visit their other two locations but plan too. If the other two are anywhere near the level of Norwalk, I hope to check them off my restaurant bucket list soon. We now come to Siena Norwalk at least once a week.

Enter, you are greeted with a smile. Start your meal with their mouthwatering wood-fired focaccia, a standout that leaves the store-bought variety in the dust. Chef Luis crafts seasonal menus using the freshest local ingredients. One standout starter is the arancini, always a crowd-pleaser. Right now, corn is in season. The sweet corn arancini with parmigiano parsley and pesto aioli is a must. In the fall the mushroom arancini is outstanding. I don’t even like mushrooms most of the time and I order this every time. Back to the seaonal corn. Another amazing starter is the grilled Spanish octopus with spicy corn salad is an absolute must — perfectly cooked octopus paired with just the right touch of heat.

Not a fan of cauliflower? You will be at Siena. Their version — lightly charred in the wood-fired oven and served with an ethereal almond Romesco — is a revelation.

For mains, the branzino is a go-to favorite, served with a delicate ratatouille and gremolata that elevate the dish. In colder months, the pasta Bolognese is pure comfort, with a beautifully balanced pork and beef ragu that’s impossible to replicate at home. Their wood-fired pizzas and variety of pastas are always on point, delivering rich, authentic flavors in every bite.

Dining at Siena doesn’t feel like eating out — it feels like visiting an old friend, with someone’s Tuscan grandmother cooking in the back, creating pure bliss.

The wine list is extensive and always evolving, complemented by an excellent, knowledgeable bar staff.

What truly sets Siena apart is the staff, from top to bottom. Owners Pasquale Conti and Pietro Polini are hands-on and ever-present. The managers, servers, bussers, and kitchen team all share the same warmth and professionalism. Many have been at Siena for years, and it shows — they care deeply about what they do. You enter as a guest and leave as family. Waiters Corey and Dori are absolutely amazing. I simply can’t say enough about them.

Private events are also an option, with not only the restaurant but the stunning rooftop deck available for special occasions. Give Brandon a shout. A friend held a wedding related party rooftop and raved about it.

End your meal with complimentary biscotti and limoncello — the perfect final touch in a dining experience that...

Extremely disappointing all around. We started off being sat at a table right by their service door. Normally that’s fine, but it took over 15 minutes before we finally flagged down someone in order to try and put a drink order in, as our server hadn’t made it to the table yet. This is especially poor when countless staff members repeatedly walk right by your table. When our server finally was able to make it to our table, (someone else ran the drinks) there was no acknowledgement of our wait. Absolutely no engagement from the server. He asked if we were ready to order. Had to ask for recommendations and server could only offer “best sellers”, reading the menu to me. He said the chicken was a best seller. Said he would send out some focaccia on him, which was actually already on the table. Did he mean something else? Was that not part of their regular bread service? It was dropped off without a word, so who knows. Food came in a reasonable amount of time, but was run out weird, and not by our server. One member of our party had a first course, which was hastily removed by another food runner as our entrees were being run out. One support staff member ran three dishes, while the fourth member of our party waited for their food. My ravioli sloshed all over the bowl, ruining whatever presentation was intended. Had to flag down a manager to get another round of drinks to the table. Halfway through, really could have used some pepper, so flagged down someone else. Immediately brought a made up dish of salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Should this have already been on the table? It’s tough, because we saw our server with another table offering fresh Parmesan. Had to ask for dessert menus after our server brought out house limoncello and biscotti. Really poor dining experience from start to finish not that one person bothered to ask. I brought this up to the manager as we were walking out and his response was that he was surprised because normally people only have good things to say. Really? With so many other options for good Italian food and places with even a dash of hospitality, why would I...

LOUD! Service was lackluster. Food was subpar. Extremely disappointed. 1.It is impossible to hold a conversation . The space is too large, holds too many people and has no sound buffers. Seating was as requested, but due to the current drought, there was no waterfall, just wet rocks below. Of course it would be ludicrous to blame the restaurant for this, but it was disappointing, as we had been to this restaurant under a different name, and it was spectacular. Our server was sparseuntil the end of the meal of course. He was more interested in servicing his larger groups. Although he was specifically requested that my martini be "Super, duper, cold", it sat at the bar for 10 minutes before I was able to lasso him in to request it. At this point he told me that "they" would bring it as though this was beneath his responsibility. I was ready to get up and get it myself and I believe he sensed this and went and got it. I had 2 warm martini's. NOT happy. Focaccia arrived for the 4 of us with, literally, one teaspoon of olive oil in a dish for us to share. It took 5 minutes to get someonenot our server who was MIAto bring us more.. There must be a shortage, as the second dish arrived with 2 tablespoons of oil and no bread. I was so looking forward to the mushroom appetizer, but it arrived on burned bread, which I bit into, and was worried I'd left my capped tooth in it. Sent that backgot another onesloppy presentation, not the ideal bread for this. Pizza was soggy. Meatballs were mushy. The Pulpo was palatable, but not great. Insult on injury? Our "server" didn't even bring us our complimentary Limoncello~we had to ASK FOR IT. We still left him a 20%+ tip because he DIDN'T deserve it and he knew that. I could go on but I'll stop here. As a chef for over 35 years, I just don't understand how this place still gets the business it does, as there are so many other incredible restaurants in the area. We will...